Okami Otoko
by Yaminisu
Summary: Yami was a typical teenage girl looking forward to enjoying her summer vacation with her best friend. That all changed with an attack that literally changed her life forever. And now she is forced to cope with a world that she doesn't understand and a new part of herself without her friends and family there to guide her. Atem x Yami (fem Yami)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Attack

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami leaned back comfortably in her seat in English as she listened to her teacher, Ms. Chono give a very interesting lecture of creatures in mythology and particularly how those creatures are depicted in literature.

Today was the last day of school before summer vacation and all of the teachers had taken votes from their classes about what 'fun' topics or activities they would like on the final day. Ms. Chono's class had unanimously voted for a lesson on mythology which included a lecture of creatures in mythology before Ms. Chono stuck in a DVD of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the class to enjoy.

Ms. Chono concluded her lecture with a rare smile. Yami couldn't help but chuckle, the teachers it appeared were looking forward to summer vacation as much if not more than the students. "Well, class that concludes my lecture on creatures in mythology. Now, without any further ado the movie." Ms. Chono declared before she cued up the DVD.

Yami leaned a little bit further as she enjoyed watching the opening scenes of Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban before the movie was interrupted just as Harry enjoyed his flight on Buckbeak by the school bell, signaling it was time for Yami to head to final class of her sophomore year, which in this case was math.

Yami slung her practically empty school bag over her shoulder and headed for the door, soon joined by her best friend since childhood Mai Valentine. "Hey hun, ready for math?" Mai asked with a bright smile on her face.

Yami nodded, "Sure am. I still can't believe we were able to convince Mr. Takahashi to take our class bowling for the last day." Yami exclaimed.

Mai nodded, "It'll definitely be fun, even if the old fart did declare we had to do our scoring by hand." Mai agreed.

"Exactly, and then after that we are officially home free for the summer." Yami declared.

"Exactly, and I for one know two girls that are going to spending practically that entire summer poolside working on our tans." Mai replied, slinging her arm around Yami's shoulder as she spoke.

Yami chuckled, "Well, I don't know about _everyday _but yes, I definitely plan to spend a lot of time lounging by the pool your family just had put in Mai." Yami replied.

"Great, but first we have some serious butt to kick in bowling." Mai declared, his violet eyes shining with competitive mirth. Yami just laughed as the pair joined the remainder of their classmates waiting to head to the bowling alley.

The class was able to play two full games of bowling, which Yami managed to win both games much to her classmates bemusement.

"Well, class it looks like it's time to be heading back to the school, I'll let you go a few minutes early so you'll be able to start clearing out your lockers and I hope to see all you back here next school year." Mr. Takahashi called out.

Yami was grinning broadly when fifteen minutes later her and Mai were officially on their way home from school and were school free for two whole amazing months.

"So, what do you want to do first hun?" Mai inquired.

Yami shrugged, "Well, first thing I'd like to do is run home and drop my bag off. Maybe check in with my grandfather. Other than that, I have no idea. Any thought on your end?" Yami asked.

"You mean other than maybe going to the mall to pick out our new bikini's for the pool? Its summer now and we need to accessorize Hun." Mai declared.

Yami nodded, "Okay, fine. I'll drop my bag off than you and I can catch the bus to the mall." Yami agreed.

The pair made it to Yami's house with no incident and both walked right into the Game Shop that Yami's grandfather owned to see him eagerly talking to a group of young teens who had decided to start their own summer vacations off with a brand new game.

"Hey Grandpa!" Yami called out over the noise. Her Grandfather looked up briefly, smiling brightly.

"Now, there's my beautiful granddaughter. And her almost equally beautiful friend. How was your last day of school girls?" Grandpa called out.

"School was good Grandpa. Mai and me are going to be heading to the mall. We want to do some swimsuit shopping." Yami replied.

"Have fun girls, and be safe. Yami, just please try to be home before dark. You know I don't like you girls wandering around after dark." Grandpa called out.

"Hey, I could go with them. The girls would be perfectly safe with a big strong guy like me to protect them from harm." A teenager named Tristan called out.

Yami and Mai both rolled their eyes, "Tristan, its guys like you that Mai and I would need protection from. We'll pass, but thanks for the offer. And don't worry Grandpa, I'll be home before dark, promise." Yami called out.

Grandpa nodded before he turned his attention back onto his customers while Yami ran upstairs to drop off her bag.

"Do you mind if I change before we go? I'd rather not go shopping in my school uniform if we don't have to." Yami asked.

Mai shook her head, "Nope, not at all. I'll change too." Mai replied as both girls headed over to Yami's closet. Mai spent the night so often at Yami's house that she had left several outfits here just in case she needed a change of clothes, just like Yami also had several of her own outfits at Mai's place.

Mai changed into a pair of short purple shorts a white tank top with a short sleeve denim purple jacket which looked great with her long blonde hair. Yami changed into a simple pair of short darkwash denim shorts and a red tank top before she pulled back her long black hair with red highlighted streaks into a pony tail.

"Alright, let's go. The mall awaits." Yami declared.

And with that both girls were off. The bus stop was only a couple hundred feet from Yami's grandfather's shop, which both girls were happy about since they'd had to catch the bus in the downpour rain on multiple occasions and were happy they didn't have to sprint too far in the rain.

Mai and Yami plopped down at the bus stop to wait for the next bus to arrive. According to the bus schedule the bus should be here in about ten minutes, give or take.

"So, anything else we want to do this summer other than sunbathing?" Yami asked.

Mai shrugged, "The usual I guess, shopping, going to the movies. Stuff like that I guess." Mai replied.

Yami nodded, "Yeah that sounds about right to me. Maybe next summer I'll think about getting a summer job. Gotta start saving up some pocket money for when we go off and take the college world by storm." Yami replied.

Mai sighed, "Yeah, which means that this is probably going to be one of the last summers we can spend just relaxing and having a good time. Not only will both of us have to get jobs next summer we'll more than likely have picked up a few boyfriends along the way as well. "Mai replied.

Yami snorted, "Boyfriends? Really, and when pray tell do you think we'd have picked up a couple of boyfriends? It's not like they sell them at the mall Mai." Yami teased.

Mai rolled her eyes, "At school of course. Hopefully over the summer a couple of those boys who love to whistle at us will finally have grown into some decent men and you and I might deign to actually begin to date them." Mai replied, her cheeks flushing the faintest shade of red.

Yai rose a mocking brow, "Anyone you've got your eye on Mai to see if they've _matured? _Hmmm?" Yami teased.

Mai flushed, "Maybe a couple. Valon for one is very attractive, now if only his brain could catch up with his hot body he might be boyfriend material." Mai replied.

Yami chuckled, "Valon? Really, isn't he kind of childish?" Yami replied, "I mean, don't get me wrong he is _very _nice to look at, but I don't know. Sometimes him just kind of grates on my nerves." Yami said.

Mai nodded, "Don't I know it Hun? That's why I said I hoped that he would mature a little bit…okay a LOT over the summer before I'd actually consider going out with him on a date. Not that he's asked me or anything because he hasn't but still. We are going to be juniors next year."

By this point the bus at arrived and both girls quickly boarded, swiping their bus passes before they took their seats near the middle of the bus. There were four stops before the bus would arrive at Domino Mall in Downtown Domino.

Domino as a city had certainly blossomed within the ten years she had lived here with her Grandfather after her parent's very messy divorce and both wanting a completely clean slate to start anew. Her Grandfather had been the parental figure she had needed growing up and she loved him dearly and a part of her thought that she got the better deal living with her grandfather than continuing to live with either her mother or father who nowadays she only really heard from in the event they remembered to send her a card on her birthday.

But, growing up she had certainly noticed what had once been a relatively busy town had grown into a bustling city. This growth had no doubt been further spurred by Industrial Illusions selecting Domino City as the site of its company headquarters.

And with the addition of Industrial Illusions the population and in turn businesses coming to Domino had skyrocketed before he officially became Domino City, instead of just Domino.

Yami and Mai both counted themselves lucky that they lived on the edge of the city which meant they were not constantly surrounded by honking cars and speeding traffic. Her grandfather's property even had a wooded tree line behind it that Mai and Yami had loved exploring in their youth.

The bus finally came to a stop in front of Domino Mall and the two girls exited, heading into Vivians to see what swimwear they could find. The two girls had a blast trying on different bikinis. Yami selected a plain black one which Mai said looked absolutely amazing on her. She also picked out a ruby red bikini and then a more traditional navy bikini with some flowers adoring it. Mai selected three different purple bikini's all with slightly different cuts which accentuated her friends ample sized chest. The girls also picked up a couple of sun hats, some sunglasses, a cover-up as well as several new tops before they finally decided their parents/guardian's wallets had taken enough of a beating so they decided to check out before heading to the food court to grab a quick snack before heading back home.

"Well, that was certainly fun Hun." Mai declared as they plopped down on the crowded mall food court, resting their shopping bags on the floor.

Yami nodded, "Agreed. So, we should definitely be all set for this summer." Yami agreed.

"Yup. Now would you like to celebrate our successful shopping venture with a smoothie before he head on home?" Mai inquired.

Yami chuckled, "Make it a milkshake and you've got yourself a deal." Yami replied.

The Mai got up and headed over to the Burger World window and placed the order while Yami sat at the table guarding their purchases. Yami's gaze idly drifted around the food court as she waited for Mai to return. It was about 530 now, but the plan was that after they ate her and Mai were going to go and catch the 615 bus heading back home.

"Hey!"

Yami jumped at the sudden, unexpected voice and glanced up to lock gazes with a boy with narrow bright green eyes and long black hair which he had pulled back in a ponytail. His eyes were lined with eyeliner.

Yami frowned slightly, "Can I help you with something Mr…." Yami asked trailing off at the name. She'd never seen this boy before in her entire life and there was a part of him that made her nervous. As a general rule she didn't associate too much with strangers. Especially not strangers like this one who gave off an almost dangerous vibe.

"The name is Devlin. Duke Devlin, and how would a pretty little bi…lady like you like to join me for a bite to eat?" Duke offered.

Yami shook her head, "Actually I'm not interested Duke, I'm here with a friend of my mine and after we grab a quick bite the two of us are heading back home. You'll have to find someone else." Yami said, her tone taking on a slightly sharper tone as she finished.

Duke frowned, "Listen here you…"

"Is everything alight over here Yami? Who's the primadonna?" Mai asked as she made her way back over to the table carrying the tray of food.

"Yeah, I'm fine Mai. And he's no one and he's just leaving." Yami said as Mai took her seat across from Yami who was still frowning.

"Who do you think you're calling a Primadonna?" Duke growled, literally growled.

Mai however, it seemed was more at ease with this loser than she was. Something about him just really was putting Yami on edge. "I only call it how I see it hun. And you, standing there like you're trying to intimidate Yami while wearing almost as much makeup as I am your whole imagine screams 'I have an overinflated sense of self-importance', hence why I called you a primadonna. As I often say, if the shoe fits." Mai said calmly as she unwrapped her burger. Yami shakily grabbed her own burger as well as her shake.

"Now, what were we talking about hun?" Mai asked, purposely trying to start a conversation with Yami and ignoring the idiot who had approached them. Yami unwrapped her own burger before taking a bite, doing her best to keep her gaze firmly locked on the table top. This guy was making her nervous and the fact that he still hadn't taken a hint was really freaking her out. She felt Mai's hand give her thigh a reassuring squeeze from under the table. Clearly Mai wasn't comfortable with this creep either but was doing her best not to let her discomfort show.

Yami knew it would be for the best if she just played along, "We were talking about my hot boyfriend about the date that we were going to be going on this Saturday." Yami said.

Mai smiled at Yami, "Yes, that's right. Where did you say he was going to take you? Out on his fancy yacht right?" Mai said.

Yami couldn't help but smile as the ridiculous story Mai had just come up with, "Yeah that's right. We're going to spend the day out on his families Yacht. Probably won't be back until late. I love looking at the stars from the deck of the ship while resting my head on my boyfriend's chest." Yami replied.

Finally the creep seemed to take a hint and stalked off. Once he was gone both girls gave a visible sigh of relief.

"Now that the creep is gone, what did he want Yami?" Mai inquired.

Yami shrugged as she took a long drink of her strawberry milkshake. "To be perfectly honest I have no idea what the creep wanted. It was almost like he was trying to ask me out…but he didn't really ask. It was almost like he was declaring that I was going out with him. Very weird. And I don't know something about him screamed 'stranger danger'. Or was that just me going crazy?" Yami asked.

Mai shook her head, "No, it wasn't just you hun. The guy was a creep, plain and simple. Good news is he ran off with his proverbial tail between his legs." Mai said.

Yami nodded and her and Mai finished their meals in relative silence before they gathered up their belongings. "Come on Mai, let's head back home." Yami said. Mai nodded.

"Right behind ya Hun." Mai replied as the two girls grabbed their purchases and headed out of the mall. They passed the creep loitering near the mall entrance but both girls purposely pretended that they didn't see him as they quickly boarded the bus heading home. For a tense moment the girls worried that the creep would also board the bus, but thankfully he did not and the bus pulled away from the curb heading back home.

Yami leaned back against the seat, letting out a loud sigh of relief, "I don't know about you Mai, but I have never been more relieved to be heading back home from the mall." Yami declared.

Mai chuckled, "I hear ya hun. Believe me, I hear ya." Mai replied.

Forty-five minutes later the bus came to a stop by the Game Shop and the girls quickly disembarked before heading inside, where Grandpa Motou appeared to be in the process of beginning to tidy up before he closed at 8.

"Successful shopping trip, I take it girls?" Grandpa asked as he set his broom aside for a moment.

Yami nodded, "Yup, it sure was. I got a couple of nice bikini's as well as some other stuff. I'm all set for spending this summer beside the pool." Yami declared.

Grandpa chuckled, "Oh to be young. Then again, if this summer is as hot as the last one was I'll probably join you girls at the pool a few times as well. Old men need to tan too." Grandpa teased which made both girls laugh.

"You know you're always welcome over at my house Grandpa Motou." Mai said.

Grandpa nodded, "That I do my dear. That I do. Now, unfortunately this shop isn't going to clean itself up and I figured I'd take advantage of the slight lull in customers to begin cleaning up. Yami would you mind terribly helping me out?" Grandpa asked.

Yami shook her head, "No, not at all Grandpa. Just let me go and put my stuff away and I'll be right down to help you clean up." Yami said.

Mai chuckled, as she fished her phone out of her pocket, "And this is my cue to head on home. I'll see you tomorrow Yami, bright and early." Mai replied.

Yami nodded, "Yup. Bright and early and ready to sunbathe." Yami replied.

Mai nodded before she turned and headed out the door, "Good night Motous. And Yami I'll text you when I get home." Mai called out.

"Sounds good Mai. Good night." Yami replied once Mai had left Yami turned to her Grandfather, "I'll just run these bags upstairs quick, then I'll be right back down to help." Yami vowed.

Grandpa nodded, "That sounds fine to me." Grandpa replied before Yami turned and jogged up the stairs, just as the shop door opened revealing a batch of last minute customer who needed to buy some booster packs before closing.

Yami headed back down the stairs to see her Grandfather behind the counter assisting a couple of teens who were arguing over whose new card was better. Since her Grandpa was clearly busy Yami picked up his abandoned broom and began to finish sweeping the floor. The two teens bickered at the counter for about 30 minutes before Grandpa was forced to gently remind them that it was time for him to close up and they headed out.

Grandpa sighed as Yami watched the two teens walk out before flipping the sign to closed behind them. "Thank you very much for helping me out tonight Yami." Grandpa said.

Yami just shrugged, "No problem Grandpa. I'm glad to help you."

Grandpa nodded, "And between the two of us we should be able to get everything done before 9 o'clock." Grandpa said.

Yami grinned, "Which means you're not going to miss you television show on the history channel. Amazing Archaeological Finds." Yami replied.

Grandpa just chuckled, "Exactly my girl. Now, let's get a move on so we can call it a night." Grandpa chided.

Yami gave her grandfather a mock salute before she began straightening some of the shelves while her Grandfather busied himself with counting the register. Grandpa sighed as he stretched about 45 minutes later, rising to his feet from the glass display he'd been restocking and straightening. "Well, my girl that should just about do it. All that's left is to take out the garbage and we're all closed up for the night." Grandpa said.

Yami nodded, "You head on upstairs Grandpa, I'll take out the trash and then I'll join you, okay?" Yami said.

Grandpa nodded, "That sounds great. See you in a few minutes." Grandpa said before he turned and began to make his way up the stairs.

Yami shook her head fondly as she began to gather up the trash. Her grandfather was like a little kid when it came to archaeology. Yami tied up the two bags before she headed out the side door and around to the backside of the house where the dumpsters were located. The sun had finally set and a beautiful half-moon was shining brightly overhead. The night was seasonably warm, yet still comfortable, probably about 70 degrees.

Yami opened the dumpster and tossed the two bags of trash in before allowing the lid to slam shut intending to head right back inside. She had taken a couple of steps when she froze. It sounded like she'd heard a twig snap. Yami turned back to look at the woods that weren't far from the Motou's back door, maybe fifty feet.

"Someone out there?" Yami called out. Silence was Yami's only answer. Yami shrugged, figuring she'd just been hearing things and turned to head back inside when she heard a twig snap once again. Yami turned back around and this time she could make out a set of eyes just beyond the tree line starring at her.

For a moment Yami was frozen as her eyes locked with those of whatever she'd seen however the creature moved and soon what appeared to be a massive black wolf left the tree line, heading right for her, growling as it did.

Yami knew that she should stay completely still and not make any sudden movements but she was scared. She only had about ten feet before she made it back to the door. So, she turned her back on the wolf and ran.

"Grandpa! HELP!" Yami called out as she sprinted as fast as she could, she could hear the pads of the wolf's feet as he raced after her. The door was literally feet from her, she could almost reach out and grasp the door when she was suddenly slammed forward down into the dirt by the weight of the creature tackling her. She hit the ground with such force Yami was mildly surprised she hadn't been knocked unconscious.

She could feel the wolf's claws digging into her skin and she couldn't help but let out a pained whimper as she subconsciously attempted to shift to make her situation more comfortable. It didn't matter, everything still hurt.

Although that pain seemed like nothing to the feeling of the wolf sinking his powerful jaws into her shoulder blade. Yami couldn't help but scream. The only thing she could think about was that she was going to die, laying right here on the ground mere feet from her door.

Then suddenly without warning the wolf was knocked off her back. Yami was afraid to move less she draw the wolf's attention back onto her bleeding form. But she was able to hear multiple growls this time.

She glanced over her shoulder briefly and saw there were now four wolves in her yard and they appeared to be fighting, no doubt fighting over the prey. Yami did not intend to continue to lay on the ground until the victor decided to eat her, so as quickly as she was able to Yami rose to her feet and headed back into the house.

Once she was inside and the door was firmly locked behind her Yami sank to the floor sobbing as she clutched her bloody shoulder.

"Yami? Yami are you arlight? What happened?" Grandpa called out.

"I-I got attacked. By a wolf out back. It hurts Grandpa." Yami sobbed.

Yami could hear her Grandpa quickly making his way down the stairs to where she was sitting. He briefly glanced out the window, no doubt looking for the beast that had mauled his granddaughter, but it was gone. The wolves were long gone.

Grandpa then slowly crouched down so he was eye level with Yami, "Can I see it Yami?" Grandpa asked.

Yami nodded before she slowly released her own grip on her shoulder blade to allow her grandfather to see the bloody wound. "Shit. That's deep. Yami I know it hurts but we're going to have to get you to the hospital. That would will more than likely need stiches, plus we'll have to have you tested for rabies." Grandpa said as he shakily got back to his feet.

Yami nodded as she too slowly stood. Grandpa grabbed a cloth and instructed Yami to hold the cloth on her wound while he got her to the hospital.

A/N: Yes, yes I know another new story. Its what happens when I start rereading old documents that I have. (This one I started working on over a year ago and have 10 chapters fully written.) Anyway, I hope you guys like how this story started. (let me know if you didn't. Or if you did.) I really just want feedback. Depending on the response I get will determine if I continue this one or not. And yes, I know you might wonder why Yami is a girl in this story...and the reason is I feel for this plot line it was required. That is the only reason.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami and her Grandfather spent three hours sitting in the waiting room at the Domino Hospital Emergency room before they were finally called back to see a doctor. Thankfully the wound had finally stopped bleeding although it still burned terribly every time Yami so much as shifted her shoulder. Yami didn't even have her phone with her so she couldn't text Mai to tell her what had even happened.

"Yamira Motou? The doctor will see you now." The nurse called out. Yami and her Grandfather got to their feet before following the nurse back deeper into the emergency room before they were shown to an empty bed. "Please have a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly." The nurse said before she turned and strode out of the room.

Grandpa took a seat in another uncomfortable hospital chair as Yami sat down on the bed. "Grandpa, what happens if the animal had Rabies that bit me?" Yami asked.

Grandpa sighed, "Well, unfortunately Yami we're just going to have to hope the animal doesn't have rabies. You'll probably be given some preventive shots to your stomach over a period of a couple of weeks to prevent you from contracting rabies if you were exposed." Grandpa said.

Yami nodded slowly. That did not sound good, but what choice did she really have? The pair were not left waiting for much longer before the door opened and in walked the doctor. "According to your check in you said that you were bit by an animal outside your home tonight, is that correct?" The doctor asked briskly.

Yami nodded, "Yes, I got attacked when I was out back behind my house taking out the trash." Yami said.

The doctor nodded as he jotted down the information for his records, "And did you recognize the animal that bit you? Have you seen it around before?" The doctor said.

"If by recognize the animal do you mean I knew what kind of animal it was, then the answer is yes. If by that you mean do I know the animal then the answer is no, I've never seen it around before." Yami said.

The doctor again made note of Yami's answer, "You said you know what kind of animal it was. Could you tell me what bit you?" The doctor asked.

"It looked like a wolf to me. A big, black wolf." Yami replied.

The doctor paused for a moment before he jotted down the information before he set his clipboard aside, "Let's take a look at this wound, shall we?" The doctor inquired.

Yami nodded and allowed the doctor to look at the wound. "That's quite the nasty bite you've got there." The doctor stated, and Yami could clearly hear the frown in his voice as he examined the bite before he stepped away, "We're going to have to get the wound cleaned then we'll have to run a series of tests. The odds of us being able to track down a specific wolf that bit you is practically nonexistent which means we'll also have to go through with the preventative rabies vaccines as well. But first, we'll get this wound cleaned and then run some blood work." The doctor said.

"Okay." Yami replied.

"I'm going to send in a nurse to draw some blood for your blood work, while I get to stuff we need to clean and bandage your wound." The doctor replied before he strode out.

Grandpa rose to his feet and lightly rested his hand on Yami's thigh, "It's going to be okay Yami." Grandpa whispered.

Yami nodded, "Right, I know that." Yami replied, her voice sounding a lot more confident than she actually felt.

Another nurse, different than the one who had shown Yami and her grandfather into the room came in and drew six different vials of blood before she exited the room. The doctor passed the nurse on the way back into the room.

"Yami, can you lay down on your stomach for me please so we can clean your shoulder? Mr. Motou, you might want to hold your Granddaughters hands while we do this. Unfortunately, it will hurt a lot. We need to make absolutely certain that the wound is clean." The doctor said coldly.

Yami took a deep breath before she carefully lay down on her stomach. Her knees which had been scraped from when she was tackled to the ground stung as they met the paper covered hospital bed. Her grandfather walked to the front of the hospital bed and grabbed both of Yami's hands with his wrinkled ones.

"I'm so sorry honey. I wish I could make this better for you." Grandpa whispered.

Yami opened her mouth to reply, but what she was going to say was cut off but the loud bloody curdling scream as the doctor harshly scrubbed the bite mark with his antiseptic soaked cloth. The cleaning of the wound actually hurt 10 times worse than the actual bite itself and Yami just kept screaming as she squeezed her Grandfather's hands as tight as she could.

Her Grandfather just continued to hold her hands as he tried to soothe his sobbing Granddaughter. Five torturous minutes later the doctor declared the wound was cleaned before he placed a gauze pad over the wound and wrapped the wound with ace bandages. Once the doctor was finished bandaging the wound Grandpa helped Yami to sit up, her normally lightly tanned skin was now an ashen color as she straightened up. She was trying to take slow, calming breathes to keep herself from vomiting from the pain.

"Now, next steps are going to be the rabies shots and then we just have to wait on the results of your blood work. Once we have those done then you'll be free to go." The doctor replied.

The doctor then swept back out leaving the two Motous alone in the hospital room. Once Yami was confident that she could speak without vomiting she addressed her grandfather, "I didn't hurt you too bad did I? You have enough problems with your arthritis without me breaking your hands." Yami said.

Grandpa chuckled, "I'm fine, if squeezing my hands helped you even just a little bit then I'm glad I was able to be there for you. I hated seeing you in such pain but we did need to get that wound clean. An infection could have killed you." Grandpa said.

Yami nodded, "Right, I know that." Yami said.

The door once again opened and in strode the nurse carrying two large syringes. "Yami can you please lift up your shirt for me. I'm going to have to give you these 2 shots in your stomach, this is to help prevent you from contracting rabies." The nurse said.

Yami nodded as she slowly lifted up her shirt, biting her lip slightly before her shoulder burned terribly at the motion. Fortunately the shots to her stomach were not nearly as painful as it was when her wound had been scrubbed by the doctor.

The nurse gave Yami a reassuring smile as she disposed of the two needles into a sharp container. "It shouldn't be too much longer before the doctor is back with your test results. Then you should be able to go home." The nurse said.

Yami gave the nurse a tight smile before she swept out of the room. Then it was back to the waiting game Yami and her Grandfather had no choice but to play. She was so tired, she just wanted to go home and put this entire terrible experience behind her.

The door to her hospital room opened once more, this time about forty minutes after the nurse had left revealing a new doctor, this one a woman with tan skin and long black hair. "Good evening Miss Motou, my name is Dr. Ishizu Ishtar, and I'm a specialist that the hospital called in regarding your unique case regarding the bite you received earlier tonight." Dr. Ishtar said briskly.

Grandpa frowned, "Specialist? Why would the hospital need to contact a specialist?" Grandpa inquired.

Dr. Ishtar kept her eyes locked with Yami's terrified violet ones as she answered her Grandfather's question, "We got the results of your granddaughter's blood word and it does appear that the wolf in question was carrying a disease however, thankfully the disease was not rabies." Dr. Ishtar said.

"A-a disease? That wolf gave me a disease." Yami whispered.

Dr. Ishtar sighed, "Perhaps a better word would be a condition, rather than a disease. The bad news is that this condition is without a cure. However, this condition is not fatal and we can help you to learn to live a mostly normal life with this condition. However, before we can really get to that point we need to go into what actions we will have to take for now to help you to adapt." Dr. Ishtar said.

Yami frowned, as did Grandpa Motou, however it was Grandpa who voiced the question on both their minds, "What do you mean adapt? What actions are you talking about? And don't think that we haven't noticed that you seem keen to keep dancing around what is wrong with my granddaughter. Well, out with it." Grandpa commanded.

Dr. Isthar sighed once more, "Mr. Motou, the wolf that bit your granddaughter was a sufferer of lycanthropy." Dr. Ishtar said.

"You mean, like a werewolf? But, it wasn't a full moon. And werewolves aren't real." Yami spluttered.

Dr. Ishtar pulled the rolling stool up beside Yami's bed before taking a seat, "Miss Motou, I wish I could lie to you and say that Werewolves did not actually exist that that would be a lie. As I was saying once you have fully adapted you can of course live a mostly normal life however there will have to be some serious changes, especially while you begin to adapt. You will have to move in with the local pack of werewolves and they will certainly be able to help you get settled. Hopefully, if everything goes well in about six or so months you should be able to at least visit your grandfather once you have adjusted. But you will live with the pack for the rest of your life." Dr. Ishtar said.

"That is absolutely preposterous. My granddaughter will not be going anywhere." Grandpa growled.

"Unfortunately Mr. Motou, this is as much for your own safety as it is for your granddaughter's safety. By having her relocate to live with the pack she will be amongst her own kind, who will understand exactly what it is she is going through and they will help her to adapt to those changes." Dr. Ishtar said.

"But I'm her family. And family sticks together, no matter what. I will NOT essentially throw my granddaughter to the wolves." Mr. Motou growled.

"As I said Mr. Motou your granddaughter does not have a choice in the matter. We have already contacted the pack to send a representative to retrieve your granddaughter, only to find out the representative had already arrived because they were anticipating this."Dr. Ishtar said briskly.

There was a firm knock on the door before it was pushed open revealing a young deeply tanned man with waist length white hair and a nasty looking scar crossing over his right eye. "Dr. Isthar, I take it you've delivered the news to our newest pack member." The newcomer stated.

"I have indeed Akefia. And Miss Motou is ready to leave anytime." Dr. Ishtar replied before she turned and swept out of the room.

Akefia rolled his eyes as he gazed at the glaring old man, "Look pops, this is what is going to happen. The pack was already aware your granddaughter would be joining us which was why my pack alpha sent me to this damned hospital hours ago to sit and wait until you were given the official diagnosis. Now, I would like to get back to my cozy den at some point or another." Akefia muttered.

"And how, pray tell, were you aware Yami was going to be joining you?" Grandpa growled.

"Because we intervened in the damn attack to begin with. If it hadn't have been for our interference your granddaughter never would have made it back into the house to begin with. And since when our Alpha tackled the dead-wolf from atop your granddaughter his jaws were still buried in her shoulder we were pretty damn certain that she was going to contract lycanthropy. Hence my presence at this damn hospital." Akefia growled right back.

"And why did your _pack _intervene in the first place?" Grandpa hissed.

Akefia rolled his eyes, "For starters it is against pack law for a werewolf to bite human without consent of the alpha as well as the party that is being bitten. The dead-wolf who attacked your granddaughter violated that law. And he will die for his crime." Akefia replied.

"It wasn't a full moon." Yami muttered. That one fact kept sticking with her, the moon was only half full there shouldn't have been any werewolves running around. It was the last hope she had that this was all just one terrible nightmare and any second now she was going to wake up in her bed safe and sound.

Akefia rolled his eyes, "You're absolutely right, the moon wasn't full. All the better luck for you. Had the moon been full you would have undergone a forced transformation. Not pleasant, especially not the first time and without any help." Akefia muttered.

Yami locked gazes with Akefia for the first time since he'd entered the room, "But, there's a full moon at the end of the week." Yami said, her voice trembling slightly as she voiced this fact.

Akefia nodded, "Good, you know the timeline we're on. We've got to get you on pack grounds and we'll help you through a transformation prior to the full moon that way you will be able to avoid a forced transformation. You'll probably spend more than a week in your wolf form while you begin to get used to it before we start getting you changing back and forth. Contrary to what the stories say, we can change form at will. Only during the light of a full moon is the call of the wolf too great to be denied. There are some wolves among us who almost never assume their human forms, my pack alpha is one such case. Then there are those among us who only transform during the light of the full moon. It will vary from were to were." Akefia said.

"My granddaughter is not going anywhere without me." Grandpa hissed.

Akefia rolled his eyes, "Haven't we already been through this fucking argument?! Your granddaughter is no longer human thanks to that damn dead-wolf. She is not going to be safe with you, not only could she end up killing you she would not have the help or support of a pack who is familiar with what she is going through. To get through this she will NEED to be with the pack." Akefia growled.

"As I said she will not be going into a den of wild animals, the very same savage beasts who attacked her to begin with, without me. So, if you plan on bringing my daughter onto clan grounds then I am going with you." Grandpa spat.

"And the fact that the pack actually protected your Granddaughter means nothing? If we hadn't intervened when we did the dead-wolf who bit her would have just dragged her into the woods and no doubt forcibly transformed her and mated her. We PROTECTED her you stubborn old man." Akefia growled, this time actually baring his teeth as he did.

"Saving her after the fact means nothing. No doubt you intervened more for your own protection than my granddaughters. My granddaughter is MY number one priority, which I can guarantee she will not be yours." Grandpa argued back.

Akefia just shook his head before he whipped out an old fashioned looking flip phone. He starred at it for a few seconds before he pressed a button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Sorry to disturb you Beta, but the bitch's old man is not taking the news well and is point blank refusing to allow me to escort the bitch onto to pack grounds. At least he is refusing if we don't allow him to also enter pack grounds." Akefia said.

"My granddaughter is not a bitch! I will not stand here and allow you to refer to her as such a disgusting word." Grandpa snapped.

Akefia rolled his eyes before pulling the phone a little bit away from his ear, "For your information old man, the word bitch actually means female dog or female were, the term is one hundred percent accurate and in no way an insult. Your granddaughter is now a bitch, now if you don't mind I would like to finish discussing your pointless arguments with my pack Beta." Akefia snapped. "Sorry about that Beta, now would what you and Alpha like me to do?" Akefia inquired.

For a few moments the room was silent as Grandpa just glared at Akefia who was listening to instructions from whoever he referred to as Beta. They were interrupted by a light knock on the door. Dr. Ishtar who had been silent for the most part pulled the door open revealing a nurse carrying Yami's discharge paperwork.

Dr. Ishtar took the paperwork from the nurse. "Thank you Mary, I'll get this signed for you as I finish going over follow up instructions with the patient." Dr. Ishtar said.

Nurse Mary nodded before she headed back out of the room with Dr. Ishtar pushing the door closed behind her. "Mr. Motou, I know this is all a lot of your to take in, but unfortunately right now what we need to be looking at is what is best for your granddaughter. If you granddaughter does not go with the pack she spend her life locked in a steel cage before she is no doubt put down like a wild animal. There is a reason Mr. Motou, that sufferers of lycanthropy are believed to only be creatures of myth. It is as much for their protection as it is our own." Dr. Ishtar reasoned.

"Okay, I'll do that Beta. See you shortly with the bitch." Akefia said before he flipped his phone closed and shoved it back into his pocket and turned his attention back onto the Motous. "Here is what we are going to do. I have been instructed to escort the pair of you back to your own home. Our pack Beta will meet us there and go over things further with you in person. As for you accompanying the bitch onto pack grounds as of right now the answer is no. That answer may change depending on what the Beta and Alpha determine is the best course of action, the Beta will no doubt go over this with you once we have arrived at your home." Akefia said.

"Beta? Alpha? Do they not have names?" Yami said suddenly. If she really was going to be moving into a pack of wolves she figured she might as well begin to figure out the rules and who was who.

Akefia snorted, "Of course they have names bitch! I merely refer to them by title as a sign of respect. Our pack Alpha is the equivalent of your president or whatever you currently call your leader. He is the strongest and wisest wolf in our pack and it is his responsibility to oversee our pack is properly taken care of and protected. Our Beta is the packs second in command, if something does not need the Alpha to be personally involved in than the Beta is the one we turn to. He is also the one who is in charge in the event our Alpha is away from pack grounds. Our Beta is also the one who handles most of our human interactions, since the Alpha has little patience for idiotic humans. You will learn more about the different roles once you have been settled in on pack territory." Akefia said briskly.

"What are their names?" Yami asked.

Akefia rolled his eyes, "Curious little bitch aren't you. Fine. Our pack Beta is Seto Kaiba. And our Alpha is Atem Sennen. Satisfied now?" Akefia asked.

Yami nodded, "Yes, can we just go now? I'm tried and I just want to get out of here." Yami said.

Akeifa nodded, "No doubt you are absolutely exhausted unfortunately you won't be able to sleep until we get you settled on pack grounds. It'll probably be a few hours yet. I'm sorry but it's the way it is." Akefia said as he led the pair out of the hospital room and into the parking lot. Grandpa unlocked his car and Yami climbed into the front seat with Akefia making himself somewhat comfortable in the back. "Never figured out how you humans can put up with riding around in these damn contraptions." Akefia muttered.

Grandpa snorted, "You make it sound like you aren't familiar with living as a human." Grandpa muttered.

Akefia snorted, "That's because I'm not old man. I'm one of those weres who only assumes my human form when I don't have a choice in the matter. The Alpha telling me to go and retrieve our newest pack member sort of qualifies as one of those times." Akefia replied.

"And yet you know how to use a cellphone." Grandpa replied.

Akefia rolled his eyes, "Beta shoved the phone in my hand and told me press this button then this button to contact him if I ran into any trouble." Akefia replied.

"Ah." Grandpa said as he turned onto his street and the car fell silent. It did not take long at all for the trio to reach the Motou household. Grandpa parked his station wagon in the driveway and climbed out of the car. He frowned however when he said a man about six feet tall leaning casually against the wall beside his front door. The man had brown hair and bright blue eyes. The man was dressed in a simple pair of dark wash jeans and a collared shirt.

Akefia quickly scampered out of the car. "Beta, I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long." Akeifa said.

Kaiba snorted, "I have been waiting here about ten minutes, hardly a considerable wait. But we might as well get this over with. Atem is adamant that our newest pack member is on pack grounds before sunrise." Kaiba said.

"If your Alpha is so adamant about having my granddaughter in his territory then why hasn't he come himself?" Grandpa snapped.

Kaiba rolled his eyes, "Among other things retrieving new pack members from overly stubborn human relatives is hardly his responsibility. It shouldn't be mine either, but you have refused to cooperate with Akefia which is why I am here now." Kaiba replied briskly as he pushed off the wall and strode over to Yami who had finally climbed out of the car herself.

"Greetings…."

"Her name is Yamira Motou." Akefia supplied.

"Greeting Yamira, I am Seto Kaiba your pack Beta. I will be the one escorting you to your new home. A place in Alpha's home has been made ready for you, and you will reside there until such a time as you are completely settled and ready to set up your own den. Now, I can clearly see you are exhausted so in the interest of your wel lbeing we will allow your grandfather to accompany us this one time. He will not be permitted there again. Are we understood?" Kaiba said, and although he had clearly addressed Yami his eyes had flicked over to lock with those of Grandpa Motou.

Grandpa nodded, "I'm not going to be given a choice in this matter, now am I?" Grandpa asked.

Kaiba shook his head, "No, you will not. Humans and Weres for the most part lead completely separate lives. Humans reside in their fancy cities with their technological advances whereas the place for the Were is in the woods. Since we are able to assume human form there are many Weres who do choose to interact with humans on a limited basis. These interactions are highly regulated and unless you have permission from the Alpha you are not permitted to enter a human settlement. The full extent of our laws will be explained to you once we have gotten you settled." Kaiba said briskly.

"And why would I not be permitted to continue to visit my granddaughter in your settlement?" Grandpa inquired.

Kaiba snorted, "Apparently you humans have not acquired any additional intelligence as time has passed. The reasons we live in isolation should be fairly obvious but among other reasons it is for you own safety. There are weres within our pack who do not have the control of the temperament to be able to enter a human settlement safely. Not to mention there are also children, many of whom have never met a human before and might either see you as prey or mistake you as yet another were. Either could be dangerous for you, since if bitten you would then contract lycanthropy. And before you ask old man there is zero chance the alpha would approve of you being bitten. The first transformation would no doubt kill you at your advanced age. In addition to concerns for your own safety, your granddaughter will need to adapt to her new life. You constantly showing up out of the blue will only hinder that adjustment. She will be permitted to see you once she has settled and Alpha feels it is safe for her to do so, which will take at least six months if not longer. The exact time will depend entirely on her." Kaiba replied before he turned and began to head towards the woods.

"About time." Akefia muttered as he began to sprint towards the tree line.

"You mean we're going to walk there?" Grandpa inquired.

"How else do you expect us to arrive? We have no need for your fancy cars and our territory is deep within the woods, quite a hike for a human. Chosen specifically because it was difficult for humans to accidentally stumble upon." Kaiba said before he turned to Yamira and grasped her arm firmly pulling her up onto his back. "I'd hold on if I were you. Given what you've been through and as much time as we've wasted you are far too tired to make the trek under your own power, for this reason and this reason alone I will carry you. If you grandfather is unable to make the trek, that is not my problem." Kaiba said before he headed into the woods.

Yami was fighting to keep her eyes open at this point, but she was really so tired. She just wanted to go to sleep and put this entire nightmare behind her. It also didn't help things that it was already 2 am.

The trek through the woods took over an hour, traversing very rough terrain before coming to a fast moving river. Yami sat up the slightest bit as she took in the river. She and Mai had hiked out this far before when they were younger, they had even tried fishing in this river, but she had certainly never crossed it before.

"Akefia!" Kaiba barked.

"Yes Beta." Akefia replied.

"Carry the old man across the river. And once we've gotten his granddaughter settled you will be responsible for seeing him safely back home. Am I understood Akefia?" Kaiba commanded.

"Yes Beta, you are." Akefia replied before he trudged over to the Grandpa and tugged the old man up onto his shoulders. Kaiba entered the water and Yami jumped at the unexpected feeling of the icy water upon her bare flesh. Kaiba thankfully had little to no difficulty crossing the river although Yami clung tightly to him as the water ended up reaching the small of Yami's own back. A glance over in her grandfather's direction showed that she had gotten off lucky with the taller were. Grandpa ended up with water coming up to his neck.

Once they had finished crossing the river the quartet began to climb a massive hill that was so steep that on foot it was almost impossible to climb. Kaiba ended up crouching down on all fours. "I'd hold on if I were you." Kaiba commanded before Yami literally felt Kaiba's body begin to shift beneath her, and within a matter of minutes she was sitting atop a massive grey wolf. Once the shift had been completed the wolf began to easily bound up the hill almost as if it was flat. Yami wrapped her arms tightly around the wolf's neck in the hopes of not falling off and not wanting to risk upsetting the wolf by accidentally pulling its fur.

Once they had reached the top of the hill the wolf came to a stop and let out a very loud, "HOOWWWWOOOOOO." For a moment all was silent as a pure white wolf carrying her grandfather came to a stop beside her and Kaiba.

They did not move until they heard another, "HOWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOO!" no doubt responding to the beta's call. Once again Yami felt Kaiba's body shift beneath her and then she was once again clinging to the brunet man that she had met earlier.

"That was Alpha. He says that he is ready and that we can proceed." Kaiba explained.

"You can understand howling?" Yami whispered.

Kaiba snorted, "Of course I can. You will be able to as well, no doubt once you've undergone your first transformation. It's not much further." Kaiba replied as he strode briskly through trees and into a clearing. In the clearing there were many different almost native American style homes that had been constructed by felled trees and covered with animal pelts for insulation. As Kaiba entered the clearing a massive black wolf came trotting out of the largest wigwam before transforming min bound. Once the transformation was complete Yami locked gazed with narrow blood red eyes.

The Alpha was a lot shorter than Yami was anticipating, given how tall the pack Beta was. If Yami had to guess she'd say he was about 5'6 or for 5'7 at most, although his hair certainly made him appear taller. His head was covered with a mass of spiked black hair tinged with red, bleach blond bangs framed his angular tanned face. The man's chest was completely bare, revealing a hard muscular torso, and around his shoulders was tossed a cape of some type that was made entirely from animal pelts. For pants he was wearing skin tight brown pants clearly made from deer hide and his feet were bare.

"Greetings Alpha, as you can no doubt see I have brought our newest pack member." Kaiba replied, dipping his head slightly, no doubt in a sign of respect.

Yami knew that she should have guessed but she still could not help but be surprised that this man standing before her was the pack Alpha, the mysterious Atem Sennen.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 New Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

"Allow me to be the first to welcome you to your new home. My name is Atem and I am your pack Alpha. Over time you will no doubt learn more about my own role here but first we need to get you settled before you pass out. Come, this way." Atem beckoned before he turned and began to stride purposely back to the wigwam style den he had exited from.

Kaiba set Yami back on the ground where she struggled to stand on her shaking legs. She was so tired right now. Her grandfather scrambled over to her and wrapped a steadying arm around Yami's waist. "Don't worry, I've got you my girl." Grandpa whispered.

Yami gave her grandfather a small grateful smile as the pair began to make their way through the clearing towards the wigwam where the pack Alpha was waiting for them just inside. The pair made their way inside and the Alpha nodded to a massive pile of animal pelts, "She can lay down there for tonight. I know you are concerned for her well being but I can assure you we will take good care of your granddaughter. She is pack and that makes her family. And we take care of our own. I am going to ask you to leave once you have said your good-byes old man. Your granddaughter needs her rest, tomorrow…although I guess you humans would refer to it as today, will be an exhausting day for her. She needs to sleep so she can regain her strength." Atem declared.

"You cannot just…" Grandpa began however this time it was Yami who interjected.

"Grandpa, I thank you for standing up for me and for trying to protect me, however now is the time for you to go. Please tell Mai that I'm okay. And I promise that as soon as I am able to I will come and see you." Yami said.

Grandpa sighed, "Fine. You take care of yourself, you hear?" Grandpa said.

Yami nodded, "Don't worry, I will. I promise Grandpa." Yami vowed.

Grandpa pressed a kiss to Yami's forehead before she laid down on the pile of animal pelts. "I love you Yami. Never forget that, and never forget that this doesn't change that you are my granddaughter. If you need me for anything I will be here for you." Grandpa whispered.

Yami smiled as she wrapped her arms tightly around her grandfather's shoulders, "I know that Grandpa, I love you." She replied before her grandfather straightened up and exited the wigwam leaving Yami completely alone with the pack Alpha.

The Alpha slipped the cape from around his shoulders and hung it up on a hook that had been made out of what looked like deer antlers. "What is your name?" Atem asked as he approached the animal pelts and crouched down so that he was able to lock gazes with Yami.

Yami had the overwhelming urge to look away from him but her pride forced her to continue to hold the Alpha's gaze. Everything about his presence screamed power, power that was both alluring yet terrifying. "My name is Yamira, although many prefer to call me Yami." Yami replied, her tone sounded meeker than she had ever heard before, almost like she was shy speaking to this man.

The Alpha nodded once, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Yamira, although I do wish we had met under vastly different circumstances. Or better yet, not met at all." Atem said.

Yami frowned, "What do you mean you wish we had not met at all?" Yami asked.

The Alpha sighed, "The sole reason you are here is because a member of my pack attacked you without cause. You are the first human turned in over twenty years and certainly the first to be bitten without the consent of the packs Alpha. A crime I can assure you the Were will die for however, that is not your concern. Right now all you need to focus on is getting some sleep. I can personally guarantee that you are safe here, nothing and no one will harm you. I would kill them before they so much as harmed a single hair upon your head." Atem vowed.

Yami felt her body settling back amongst the pile of pelts. The makeshift bed was soft and Yami could not help but feel herself begin to drift off. She wanted to stay awake though, she had so many questions that she needed to have answered, yet her body was betraying her.

She had almost completely drifted off when she felt powerful arms wrap around her body pulling her so that her head was resting on the Alpha's powerful chest. "Sleep, sister." Atem ordered softly in her ear. The command combined with the heat from the Alpha's body had Yami drifting off in a matter of moments.

Yami awoke several hours later alone in the pile of pelts. She could see that the sun had risen although it was still relatively early because she could still feel the morning chill. Yami slowly got to her feet and figured that it might be a good opportunity for her to have a look around.

She made her way out of the wigwam thing and into the clearing. The first thing she noticed was several wolf pups play wrestling while their mothers in either human or wolf form watched on.

"You're up much earlier than I was expecting."

Yami jumped, whipping around to lock gazes with the amused red eyes of the Alpha who she had neither seen nor heard coming up behind her. "You scared me." Yami whispered.

The Alpha snorted before he nodded back to the wigwam, "Come, now that you are awake there is much that we must accomplish today before the Were who attacked you dies at high noon." Atem ordered as he strode back into the wigwam.

Yami followed him, "Alpha, may I ask you a question?" Yami asked softly.

"You just did, but I suppose I shall allow you to ask another." Atem replied briskly.

"Akefia said you almost never assume your human form, yet that is practically the only form I've seen you in. Was Akeifa wrong?" Yami asked.

Atem chuckled, "No, Akefia was most certainly not wrong. I very rarely ever assume my human form. I am a wolf with the ability to become human, not a human with the ability to become a wolf. I have neither a want nor a need to assume a weaker form. However, in this case the shift is required. Among other reasons you cannot understand me yet as a wolf which would make my explaining things to you a waste of my time and yours had I remained in my true form. Also, you have no doubt already been traumatized quite a lot because of the attack, to then have you be confronted by another massive wolf immediately would only do more harm than good, so for those reasons I have assumed my weaker form." Atem said.

Yami nodded, "Okay, I guess that makes some sense." Yami said. To be perfectly honest the idea that her true form was a wolf was insane. She was a human now cursed with the ability to turn into a beast although in reality there was no such thing as wolfsbane potion.

Atem snorted once more, "You don't understand but I'm not concerned about that. You will come to understand with time that you are now a wolf." Atem replied, he paused briefly before continuing, "Now, the first thing we should get to is your transformation. The sooner we get you into your proper form the better off you will be." Atem said.

"But, I don't want to turn into a wolf." Yami whispered as she felt the beginning of genuine panic grip her. Panic that she had thus far managed to ignore when she woke up still in the woods and not back at home like she had truly hoped she had been.

"I'm afraid you do not have a choice in this matter. And I do apologize that this had been forced upon you, unfortunately we are powerless to change that at this point. The only thing we can do is make the most of the situation. Which means getting you transformed and used to your new form." Atem said.

"No." Yami replied before she turned and ran, her fear giving strength to her limbs that she knew she shouldn't be feeling as she ran out of the wigwam and through the clearing and into the woods. She vaguely remembered the way back home was down a massive hill and across the river. She could make it.

She hadn't ran far into the tree line before she was harshly slammed into the dirt as the body of the massive wolf tackled her from behind, his black paws resting firmly on her shoulders, making her wound burn painfully once again, making Yami whimper in pain. She felt as the weight on her back redistributed itself and soon in the place of the creatures paws there were two human hands.

"If I climb off of you, will you try and run again? Because if you will I will keep you pinned. Do you understand me Yamira?" Atem's voice growled in Yami's ear.

Yami nodded her head in defeat as she just sobbed. What was the point in trying to run when she was unable to escape? She was utterly terrified but at the same time completely powerless against the monster that had her pinned to the dirt. "I'll stay." Yami sobbed.

Atem said nothing but Yami did feel the Alpha climb off of her allowing her to at least sit back up. She froze however when she felt Atem begin to pick at the gauze which had been taped to her wounded shoulder before he pulled it off and tossed it away. "Humans are idiots. I'll tend to that once we get you into your proper form." Atem muttered.

Yami just sobbed, "I don't want to turn into a wolf. I'm not a wolf, I'm not." Yami pleaded in a futile attempt to convince Atem that he was wrong.

"Hush, my sister. It will be alright. I will guide you through the transformation. You will be okay. I promise." Atem soothed as he drew Yami's body against his own as the girl just sobbed. It was precisely for situations like this that biting humans without their consent and an alpha's permission was forbidden. And that permission to do so was so rarely given. Once done it could not be undone.

"I'm scared." Yami whispered.

Atem sighed as he just held Yami close. He knew she was frightened and as much as he wished otherwise there was no way for him to completely eliminate her fear, not at this point in time. Humans and their stories didn't help things either, depicting Weres as mindless killing machines were no doubt further terrifying the new Were in his arms. "Shhhh." Atem soothed.

Yami breathed deeply, vaguely noticing the musky smell of the man who was holding her. For some inexplicable reason breathing his scent was helping her to at least stop crying although despite his soothing words she was still terrified.

"I'm going to guide you through the transformation. You **will not **fight me on this. Fighting me will only cause you unbearable pain. Am I understood Yamira?" Atem commanded. Something about his tone radiated a sense of power that seemed to resonate with some part deep inside Yami. And no matter how much she wanted to argue with him or push him away to stop him from turning her into a monster she couldn't.

"Yes Alpha. I will not fight you." Yami replied flatly.

"Just relax. Close your eyes and relax. Listen to the sound of the birds singing in the trees. The sound of the stream running." Atem whispered in her ear.

Yami felt her eyes slip shut as she continued to cling to the Alpha's powerful shoulders. And she took a slow calming breath and just listened to the sound of the birds singing in the trees. Robins? Or were those Blue Jays? As she was listening to the sounds of the forest around her, Yami felt a strange pull from somewhere deep within her core. The feeling was something that she could not even begin to put into words.

"Shhhh, just relax. Focus on the sounds of the forest. Focus on the smell of my scent. The sound of my voice. Remember my vow, you are safe with me Yami. Just relax. And trust me." Atem whispered in her ear.

Yami took another deep calming breath, breathing in the musky scent of the Alpha. He smelt like pine, pine and something else. For some reason it helped to keep her calm as she tried to identify exactly what the other scent was. _Is that a hint of Cinnamon I smell? _Yami mused as she felt another pull, this time firmer than the first.

She could feel her body begin to shift from within. However before she could truly begin to panic or try to pull away Atem was whispering in her ear once again, "You're doing quite well. Just relax." Her bones almost felt like they were rearranging themselves within her body, in some cases lengthening, in others completely changing shape or orientation. It didn't hurt, but it felt very very strange.

She could feel her face begin to contort, her jaw extending away from her face. Flicking her tongue over her teeth revealed that her teeth were sharpening. Her fingers were shrinking, as were her toes. Once she had begun to notice her body literally changing shape she almost couldn't stop noticing the way her body was reconfiguring itself.

"Shhh, you're almost done." Atem soothed, for some reason his voice seemed to calm her even more than it had before. Which was illogical, his voice should not have that power.

Yami felt her arms slips from around Atem's shoulders only to land on the ground as paws a fact that was not freaking her out nearly as much as she thought it should. And then, without warning everything just stopped.

Yami's snapped her eyes open at the unexpected feel of a muzzle butting against her side. She glanced around before locking eyes with the black wolf she had seen momentarily the night before when he had come bounding out of the wigwam. A single wiff however confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that the wolf was still Atem.

"Lay down." Atem, well Yami wouldn't really consider it speaking because he certainly did not speak. Instead he had let out a strange rumbling sound coming from deep within his chest. The frequency of the sound was so low Yami wasn't even sure humans would be able to hear the sound.

Yami wanted to ask Atem why she needed to lay down but she had no idea how to go about asking such a question as she felt her body immediately beginning to comply with her Alpha's command. _This weird power with his voice is definitely something I need to ask him about when I have my voice back. _Yami mused.

"Lay down so I can treat your wound, I want to make certain that it heals." Atem 'said' answering her unasked question.

Right, he did say something about that before he somehow or another turned me into a wolf Yami reminded herself as she laid down on the ground, tucking her paws beneath her body because for some reason it just felt natural to do so.

Atem settled down beside Yami, nuzzling her shoulder with his snout briefly before she felt his tongue begin to lick at the wound. A part of Yami thought it was strange that Atem was licking her but she vaguely remembered a report she had done on dogs for biology earlier in the year. The enzymes found in a dogs saliva help to destroy the cell walls of dangerous bacteria. There are also protease inhibitors and growth factor which help contribute to faster healing. _Maybe wolf saliva is similar? _Yami mused.

Atem lapped at her shoulder for several minutes before he stopped and instead rested his head over the back of Yami's neck. "You'll be okay." Atem grunted. Again Yami said nothing and the two just lay on the forest floor for some time before Atem stood. He butted his head against Yami's side, urging her to climb to her feet.

"Come." Atem grunted as he began to trot ahead of Yami heading back into the clearing. Yami straightened up and began to awkwardly follow behind him. The motions felt natural to this new form but at the same time she mentally knew that it was wrong. She glanced down at her legs and noted that her fur was black, as was what little of her chest she was able to see. _Am I a black wolf like Atem? Like the wolf that attacked me? _

Atem came to a stop by the entrance to his home. Cocking his head slightly indicating for Yami to follow him inside, which Yami did. She had so many questions and currently lacked the ability to ask a single one.

"I will answer all of your questions in time. But first, you need to eat something." Atem said suddenly this time the sound was somewhere between a guttural grunt and a snort.

Yami cocked her head to the side. To which Atem snorted, apparently he found whatever she had 'said' or did amusing. He walked away for a brief moment before he came back in dragging what looked the remnants of what was once a deer carcass. Or at least part of one, Yami could see a bone sticking out of the bloody raw meat and fur.

And as disgusting as it was for some reason she licked her chops at the sight. _No, no there is absolutely no way I am going to be eating like an animal. _Yami thought to herself as Atem dropped the carcass at her feet. "Eat."

Yami practically lunged at the carcass, seeking her teeth into the animals flesh. She could feel the warm blood spurting down her throat as she ripped a piece of the raw flesh straight from the bone. And yet, for some inexplicable reason it tasted good. _Oh my god I'm really turning into a ravenous beast. _

"Enough of that nonsense. You are not a monster. You are a Were. The wolf is a part of who you are." Atem growled.

Yami felt as much as heard the whimper that escaped her throat, "Sorry." It sounded like she said. Yami thought it was funny that she doesn't know how to speak wolf, understand it clearly but not speak it yet the first word she 'spoke' was sorry.

Atem snorted, "You are speaking just fine. Wolves communicate through body language, barks, and grunts. You may not consciously know you are speaking but believe me you are. Now finish eating. We have a trial that we need to be getting to."

Yami cocked her head to the side, which made Atem snort once more, "The trial of the dead-wolf who attacked you. As I said before he will die for what he has done to you. This is pack law." Atem replied before adding, "And before you ask I will explain pack laws to you in detail later. But we do not have the time for me to explain it now. After the trial and execution, perhaps."

Yami swallowed another bite of food, "I thought a trial was used to determine innocence or guilt. You speak as if you've already decided he is guilty."

Atem let out a loud bark of laughter, "Humans will never cease to amaze me with their idiotic ideas. I have decided he is guilty because the Dead-wolf is guilty of the crime he stands accused. If he had not committed that crime you would not be here right now. The trial is not to determine his guilt, but rather to determine his fate." Atem replied.

Yami fell silent as she returned to her meal. Everything about this whole world seemed strange to her. It took less time than she would have thought to finish her meal and once she had finished Atem was nudging her out into the clearing where it looked like the entire pack had gathered. There were more wolves in the pack that Yami had thought there would be. Almost 50 if you counted the pups. Atem kept nudging her towards a gap in the circle that had been formed in the center of the clearing.

Yami came to a stop as she drew level with the other wolves. Atem finally stopped nudging her and instead trotted confidently into the center of the circle, where another black wolf was seated, flanked on either side by two other wolves. One of which might have been Akefia, but Yami was nowhere near being able to identify wolves on sight yet. To her they all still looked like wolves just in different colors and fur patterns.

"Members of my illustrious pack, you have been called here to oversee justice being carried out in accordance with our most sacred laws. Last night dead-wolf Duke took it upon himself to attack a human female. He bit her with neither her consent nor my own thus robbing her of the ability to have chosen this life for herself. There can be no mercy or forgiveness for his callous actions and in accordance with our laws laid down by our forefathers Duke will face me in a trial. If Duke manages to kill me he will be banished from our pack and left to attempt to fend for himself and ultimately die from starvation. Otherwise I will rip this dead-wolf's throat out and we will feast on his carcass." Atem growled.

Atem, as he spoke to the crowd of gathered wolves, was almost pacing back and forth and from Yami's place in the crowd she could make out the rippling of his muscles beneath his jet black fur. Everything from the tone of his growled speech to his posture screamed confidence and power. Sheer unadulterated power.

"And with that being said. Let this trial begin." Atem barked, never once pausing in his pacing his eyes locked on those of the wolf on trial. Duke, Atem had called him. And just like that the identity of the wolf clicked in Yami's mind. The werewolf that had attacked her was the same creep that had harassed her and Mai at the mall yesterday.

The two wolves flanking Duke backed away and into the circle leaving the two black wolves alone in the center. Atem continued to pace back and forth, his eyes locked with Duke's. Duke however, crouched low, his tail slightly raised into the air as he lunged forward with a loud snarl.

"Bitch had it coming." Duke growled as he lunged at Atem before the two wolves collided. Both wolves were clawing at one another, although once they had collided Yami was having a much harder time determining which wolf was Duke and which wolf was Atem.

"She did not have it coming. A human turning you down is by no means an invitation to attack them. You robbed her of any semblance of choice when you attacked her. I should have ripped your throat out right there in the human's yard." Atem growled.

"The bitch belongs to me." Duke growled, "And once I kill you I will make her mine." Duke vowed.

Yami shuddered at the thought of the creep from the mall ever touching her. A part of Yami was suddenly grateful for what she had not really paid attention to last night. Last night Akefia had told her Grandfather had the pack not intervened Duke would have dragged her off into the woods, forced her through a transformation and essentially raped her. The voice in her head that was trying to tell her the death penalty was wrong in this case was slowly being silenced. She may not like her new life but one thing that she did know with absolute certainty it was that she owed the pack Alpha a debt that she will more than likely never be able to fully repay.

"Even if you manage to kill me, which you won't, the remainder of this pack will run out. You will never touch her again. Nor will you ever enter our territory again." Atem growled.

And with that the fighting seemed to intensify, both wolves snapping their powerful jaws at one another as they continued to swipe at each other with their paws. A loud "Yip" sounded through the clearing as the first blood was drawn.

The slightly smaller black wolf, who Yami knew to be Duke was bleeding from the shoulder where Atem's powerful jaws had latched on, staining the Alpha's jaws with blood.

Duke swiped at Atem once again, but even Yami could see that the strike had less strength than his previous ones had and Atem was able to easily deflect the blow before going low and tackling Duke to the dirt so that he was lying flat on his back, pinned beneath Atem's more powerful form.

The wolves around the circle began to bark and howl as they cheered their Alpha on in this carnal death match. Atem said nothing as his powerful jaws sank down on the exposed flesh of Duke's throat. The smaller wolf yelped loudly in pain before the sound was abruptly silenced as he Atem ripped Duke's throat out with his jaws, killing the other wolf almost immediately.

Atem stepped confidently off the corpse before he howled loudly, "HOWWWWOOOOOOOO" a victory cry which was echoed by almost every wolf in the clearing. Except for Yami. Justice. That was what Atem had howled upon Duke's death.

As other wolves began to break from the circle and head towards the Alpha and the corpse Yami turned away. She was not going to be a part of this cannibalistic ritual of eating the dead wolf's body. And with that sickening thought in mind Yami turned and fled back to Atem's wigwam.

Upon arriving back at Atem's wigwam she immediately dove into the pile of furs, doing her best to completely conceal herself. On the inside she was shaking; she had literally just watched someone die and no matter how much she wanted to she had not been able to turn away. It was almost like the wolf now controlling her body refused to leave while her Alpha was in combat. But the whole spectacle literally was making her sick to her stomach.

"I can't escape this hell. So many times I've tried. But I'm still caged inside. Somebody get me through this nightmare, I can't control myself." Yami whimpered. Back before this whole nightmare had happened those had been the words to a song Yami had loved blaring as her and Mai danced around her bedroom in their pajamas. But now, now the song was Yami's reality.

"So what if you can see the darkest side of me? No one would ever change this animal I have become. Help me believe it's not the real me. Somebody help me tame this animal." Yami continued to whimper. She should be stronger than this. The beast she'd been turned into shouldn't be able to overpower the humanity inside of her. She was strong. She was smart and she was better than this. So much better than this.

"What in the world are you whimpering about in here?"

Yami immediately fell silent. Shouldn't Atem be out with the rest of the pack ripping Duke's corpse to pieces?

"I know you're in here Yami. Come out from the pile of pelts. **Now." **Atem barked.

And despite wanting nothing more than to stay curled up in the pelts hiding away from the rest of the world she felt herself beginning to crawl from within the pelts. And she hated it. She hated that she couldn't control herself. When Atem barked like that it was like all thoughts of arguing with him completely fled.

"Do you want to tell me why you're hiding in here blubbering that utter and complete nonsense?" Atem growled. He was angry, Yami could almost feel that she'd made him angry deep in her bones and since she had just literally watched him rip someone else's throat out, and was still standing here covered in the dead wolf's blood, the realization was a terrifying one.

"I'm sorry." Yami whimpered as she almost seemed to curl in on herself.

"Sorry does not answer my question Yami. I won't ask you again." Atem growled.

"I just want to turn back and go home. I'm scared and I hate that I can't control myself anymore. It's like I'm trapped in a body that isn't mine and I can't control what I do, what I say, how I say something. And I hate it. I hate feeling like I'm watching as someone else is controlling my body." Yami whimpered.

For a moment everything was silent as Yami continued to stare that ground about two feet in front of Atem.

"If I turn you back now, you won't fight me on transforming back into your true form tomorrow. We need to get you accustomed to living as a wolf. If we don't the full moon six nights from now will be unbearable, if not outright deadly for you." Atem offered.

Yami immediately nodded anything to give her back some semblance of normalcy. Even if it was for a few hours in a small way she'll be back to herself once again. "Okay, that's fine. I promise I won't fight you. I'll do everything you say. Just please. Turn me back." Yami pleaded.

Atem sighed, "Fine. Come here." Atem consented. Yami immediately bounded the remaining few feet over to the Alpha and buried her muzzle into his shoulder, breathing his scent in as Atem once again guided her back through the unexplainable shift of her body. And she opened her eyes she was once again in her own body, this time with her face buried in Atem's blood covered bare shoulder.

"Better?" Atem asked as he straightened up.

Yami nodded, "It is. Thank you." Yami replied although she couldn't help but look away from his blood covered body. _How disgusting. _

Atem rolled his eyes, "Lay back down and I'll be back in a few minutes. I'll wash the blood off in the creek. Will that make you feel better?" Atem muttered. His whole tone implying he thought the unspoken request was a ridiculous one.

Yami nodded once more, "Yes, it would be." She said.

Atem rolled his eyes, "And yet somehow I still have to turn you into a hunter. Please don't tell me when I take you hunting a few days' time I'm going to have to hear you whimpering about the rights of rabbits." Atem muttered.

Yami couldn't help but smile. To be perfectly honest that kind of sounded like something she might do. "I can't guarantee anything." Yami replied.

"Great, just great." Atem muttered before he strode out of the wigwam.

Yami flopped back down on the pile of pelts. Just being back in her own skin helped her to almost, breathe easier in a way.

True to his word Atem returned relatively quickly and his skin was still wet from where he had clearly bathed in the creek as he settled down on the pelts beside Yami. Yami without much thought cuddled up to his chest. Something about Atem just made her feel safe. Again, she couldn't explain it but both her human and animal forms truly trusted him.

"Was it this hard for you?" Yami asked.

"Was what this hard for me?" Atem asked.

"Adjusting after you'd been turned?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted, "I was never turned. I was born a wolf. My father was the last Alpha of this pack. I became the pack Alpha following his death three years ago." Atem said.

"Oh, just when you said the last wolf had been turned about twenty years ago I just assumed…" Yami trailed off, blushing slightly as she buried her face in Atem's chest.

"You just assumed that I had been turned as a very young child. No, the last wolf that was turned was actually a wolf by the name of Ishizu. She was turned at the request of her now mate named Mahado. The two had dated for a number of years and claimed they were madly in love. Ishizu apparently had been dropping hints about wanting to marry Mahado. Problem was Mahado was a wolf. So, he came to my father and explained that he loved Ishizu and wanted to mate with her but she was a human. Long story short after many long meetings between Mahado, my father and Ishizu he gave his blessing for Mahado to bite her and she consented to receiving the bite." Atem said.

"And did she struggle adjusting like I have been?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "I can only tell you what I've been told. I was born a few years following Ishizu receiving the bite. Ishizu did struggle with becoming a wolf. Mahado of course was there every step of the way helping her to adjust but it was an adjustment that, in the opinion of many, Ishizu never fully made. Simply because she did not want to fully commit to becoming a wolf. And Mahado the love struck weak minded fool that he was did not push her to accept the wolf. She has settled now for the most part, however she spends more time in the human world than she does here. All she does is sleep here for a few days preceding the full moon. And of course joins us for the run on the full moon itself, but then she returns to the human world following the full moon and we don't see her again for another month." Atem muttered and Yami could clearly hear in his tone his apparent disgust with Ishizu not fully embracing becoming a wolf.

"Oh. I see." Yami replied. So, apparently there was some hope for her to return to some semblance of normalcy once the six or so months had passed and she was allowed to interact among humans again. With that thought in mind she could survive six months here.

Atem snorted, "I will warn you that I am not Mahado. I will guide you through adapting to becoming a wolf. This is going to be the last time I help you to assume your weaker form. You are a wolf and you need to learn how to become a wolf. After I guide you through the transformation tomorrow I will not help you to shift again. After tomorrow if you want to become human you will have to shift yourself." Atem cautioned.

Yami nodded but said nothing in response. Atem took her silence as acceptance because he continued, "You will learn that you are now a wolf. It is who you are." Atem said firmly.

Yami remained silent as she continued to lay cocooned in Atem's embrace. And before she knew it she had drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A rocky start

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Atem sighed as he continued to lay amongst the pelts as his newest pack member slept curled up against him. This whole thing was a mess, one massive mess that was all Duke's fault. Just because he couldn't find a mate within the pack did not give him the right to go into the human settlement and forcefully make one. He had died for his crime, as law dictated he should, but it was left to Atem to pick up the pieces that he had left in his wake.

Which was why he had made it his responsibility to help Yamira to adjust to her new life. A part of him knew he didn't need to. He was pack Alpha, he had a hundred other things that he could be seeing to that in a way were more important than guiding a new wolf.

But deep down Atem knew this was a different situation. Unlike bites in the past this time the bitten did not chose to become a wolf. This time the bite was not a simple nip on the wrist, but instead a vicious bite after she had been tackled to the dirt.

And a tiny part of Atem blamed himself that she had been bitten in the first place. If he had gotten to Duke a few minutes sooner he would have been able to stop the attack before it had happened, thus sparing Yami from the attack. Something Seto had been quick to point out to him was just plain idiotic and almost human like in nature. He'd deserved the bite Atem gave him for that particular comment. He was not some damn weak willed human, not in any way. He was a wolf. He was an Alpha.

His responsibility was to the pack. And Yami was now a part of that pack, her adjustment and subsequent survival was essential and it was his job to ensure it.

"It's not like you to laze about this much. And in your lesser form even? Has our newest member managed to civilize the untamable Atem after all?" Seto barked from the entrance to Atem's wigwam.

Atem snorted, "Unless you want me to rip your throat out like I did Duke's, cousin or not. You will NEVER say that again. Are we clear Seto?" Atem snapped.

Seto snorted, "Fine. Whatever. So, where do you want me to put Duke's pelt? The women skinned the Dead-wolf before we ripped him apart. We knew you'd want the pelt." Seto said.

Atem nodded, "Set it out in the sun to dry. Once it's dried hang it up on the hook there. Black was always more my color." Atem replied.

Seto rolled his eyes, "And how do you think your new companion will feel about seeing you walking around wearing the pelt of a wolf you killed?" Seto replied.

Atem snorted, "It's frankly none of her business what I chose to wear in the rare event I assume my human form. I don't intend to be assuming my weaker form again any time soon." Atem replied.

"If you say so Alpha, it must be so." Seto replied.

Atem frowned, "I assure you Seto; it is so. Now unless you have something productive to say get out." Atem growled, subconsciously baring his teeth despite being in his weaker form. Seto dipped his head in a sign of respect before he departed Atem's den as instructed.

Atem snorted before he glanced back down at the sleeping female. _Why am I letting her continue to use me as a, pillow? Is that what human call those pointless things? _

Atem slowly began to slip out of Yami's grasp. She whimpered slightly at the loss but Atem ignored her. He had much better things to be doing than sleeping the day away. Like helping to provide for his pack. Atem shifted with hardly any conscious thought back into his true form before he bounded out of the wigwam. He nipped Seto on the flank as he ran past as a warning about his earlier comments. Atem was no human and he would never identify as a human. Not in anyway.

"Get together a party. We're going hunting." Atem barked.

XXXXXXXX

Yami woke up several hours later alone in Atem's wigwam. Yami sighed, she had really been hoping Atem would have still been here when she woke up but clearly he wasn't. Then again, could she really expect a man who identifies himself as an animal to be able to understand human emotions like fear, or loneliness? Of course not and she was being ridiculous thinking he did.

Yami slowly rose to her feet and made her way outside. The clearing was dotted with wolves and humans alike that all seemed to be relaxing in one way or another. The pups were once again chasing each other around as they played while their mothers looked on. It was truly hard to believe that almost every person here had been born a werewolf. No one could understand what she was going through.

Well, that isn't entirely true. Ishizu it sounded like would understand her. She still was a human who turned into a wolf occasionally against her will. Yami did recognize there was one inherent difference between her and Ishizu. Ishizu chose this life for herself whereas Yami was not given a choice.

"Hey!"

Yami whipped around to see a young man who looked like he was around her age. He was about six feet tall with long blond hair and warm honey colored eyes. He was wearing a pair of light denim jeans and a white t-shirt.

"Can I help you with something?" Yami asked slowly.

The man shrugged, "Look, I was just sayin' hi. Dats all. Alpha asked me ta keep a look out fer ya while he was gone."

Yami frowned, "Gone? Where did he go?" Yami asked.

The man shrugged once more, "Earlier he an some ah da pack went huntin'. Dey were able ta get a couple a nice deer. We'll be eatin good fer da rest a da week, dat's fer sure. Afta dat, I'm not sure. I tink he said he was headin up da mountain. Alpha does dat sometimes when he wants ta tink." The man said.

"And he asked you to keep an eye on me?" Yami asked.

The man nodded, "Dat's right, Alpha knew dat he could count on me ta keep an eye on ya. Yer safe wid Joey." Joey proudly declared.

Yami couldn't help but chuckle, "I don't know how confident of that I am." Yami replied.

"Is this knucklehead giving you a hard time dear?"

Yami glanced up to see a young woman who looked to be around Yami's own age with short brown hair and bright blue eyes had joined them. She casually slung her arm around Joey's shoulders as she addressed Yami, her blue eyes shining with what appeared to be mirth.

"Hey, 'Zu, I am not a knucklehead." Joey spluttered.

Zu snorted, "You are too a knucklehead, my knucklehead. Aren't you my big strong mate?" Zu practically purred.

Yami rose a brow at the unexpected question…Zu and Joey couldn't be older than sixteen and yet here they were talking like they were married to one another. Or was she completely misunderstanding the phrase mate? Maybe it was just as loose as the term 'boyfriend' was back in the real world.

Something inside Yami told her that was not the case.

Zu turned her attention back onto Yami, "But seriously where are my manners? I'm Anzu and you've already met my mate Joey. If you don't mind my saying you look a bit lost. Would you like to join Joey and I back at our den?" Anzu offered.

Yami shook her head. She knew she as being kind of ridiculous but these two were literally strangers to her and she honestly did not feel comfortable just going back with them to their home. "No thank you, I think I might end up just do a little bit of exploring if that is alright. Do I need to ask someone's permission or can I just go for a walk?" Yami asked.

Joey shrugged, "Far as I know if ya want ta go fer a walk den ya can just go fer a walk. We aren't keepin' ya caged up er anyting like dat." Joey replied.

Anzu nodded, "Joey is right. The forest is as much your home as the clearing is. You can go for a walk if you want. Although, given how new everything is to you it might not be the best idea for you to go off by yourself, you know in case you get lost." Anzu said.

"Zu does have a point, her an I could come wid ya." Joey offered.

Yami shook her head once more, "No, that's alright really. To be perfectly honest I'd much rather be alone. But thank you for the offer." Yami said.

Joey sighed but nodded, "Kay, just try ta stay on the north side a da clearing. I'm guessin ya can't really control yer shiftin' yet and da hill ta da south is a real pain ta climb up or down in human form." Joey cautioned.

Yami smiled, "Thank you for the information. I'll keep that in mind." Yami replied before she walked back past Atem's wigwam heading to the north. A part of Yami thought about trying to make a run for it but she wasn't really sure if that was the best course of action right now. Especially with the looming full moon, would she really want to return home to be around her grandfather and Mai and end up endangering them if she completely lost her mind in the full moon? And ultimately that was what kept her to just going for a walk instead of heading back home.

The forest to the north of the clearing was incredibly thick and the terrain was very difficult for her to pick her way through. Yet a stubborn part of her refused to immediately turn back. She was not some helpless damsel, she could go for a fucking walk if that was what she wanted to do. However, the further Yami walked from the clearing the more she began to regret her prideful decision to press on. She tried to turn back but everything looked the same. _Didn't I pass that tree three times already? How is that possible? Aren't I walking in a straight line? _

Yami sighed, quite frankly she had a lot more important things to be worrying about than getting lost in the woods. Not only was she now an entirely different species and tomorrow she was going to be forced to transform into a wolf for who knows how long. She also had the whole issue with Atem she needed to sort through.

Some unknown primal part of her really enjoyed having him around. She had never been around a guy before that made her feel like Atem did. Not only like she could trust him but like she genuinely felt safe with him. Like there was no doubt in her mind that he could protect her if he needed to.

But at the same time a part of him scared her. She literally watched him rip out the throat of another wolf. He was powerful and strong. Much stronger than her. She already knew he was faster than she was too. If he ever meant her harm she knew there would be nothing she could do to stop him. Wasn't that a terrifying thought?

Yami kept walking, and sadly she no longer even had any idea which way she was heading in. Hopefully back towards the clearing but she might have been heading further away from the clearing by mistake. Worse still the sun was also beginning to set which meant that it was getting even more difficult for her to see where she was walking, which meant she was stumbling more and more.

She stumbled once again, this time on an unseen tree root that sent her tumbling down a rocking hill. She tried to catch a hold of grass, roots anything to stop her descent but she couldn't. She finally came to an abrupt stop when her bruised and battered body slammed into a broken tree stump. Even worse still the hill she had fallen down was different than the one Kaiba had carried her up on their way to the clearing which meant she was still hopelessly lost.

Yami slowly tried to climb back to her feet but her ankle burned terribly with the attempt as did her side from where she had harshly collided with the stump. _No, I can't just lay here. I have to get up. I'll die if I don't. _Yami thought to herself as she stubbornly pulled herself back up onto her aching feet. She squinted in the darkness up at the hill she had just tumbled down. It looked pretty damn steep but she had no choice but to try and make her way back up it and find her way back to the clearing.

Yami carefully began to try and pick her way back up the hill, using her hands to grab a hold of grass and roots to help pull her body up. This was taking forever. She was tired, she was sore and she just wanted to get back to the clearing. _I should have let Joey and Anzu come with me. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. _Yami thought to herself as she tried to pick up the pace. Her hands were no doubt a bloody mess from the sharp roots and pointed rock's she grabbed a hold of as she climbed. Her knees were also no doubt bleeding.

Yami reached up once again, grabbing a hold of a stone, however as she began to use the stone to pull her body up the stone gave way and Yami was once again tumbling back down the hill. Her head smacked into a protruding rock as she tumbled and everything went black as her body continued to careen down the hill.

XXXXXX

Atem sighed as he bounded back into the clearing just as the sun began to dip. He had made good use of his time up on the mountain. Like his father before him he had found the mountain to be a perfect place to be able to be alone with his thoughts and get himself back onto some semblance of an even keel. Yes, the situation with Yami was an awkward one but they were just going to have figure it out. He was not going to coddle her along. In order for her to survive out here she was going to need to not only learn to trust the wolf inside her but she would need to be strong. Winters especially were brutal, as was the terrain. Not to mention there were other predators in the wild they needed to be on the lookout for. And any humans they did tend to encounter this deep out in the woods were usually carrying guns in their hands.

In order for the pack to survive every member of that pack had to be able to count on the other members of that pack to contribute. Yami would need to learn her own place in the pack. No matter what that place might end up being, she would have a role.

Once Atem had arrived he immediately headed back into his wigwam to check on his current den-mate. She really shouldn't be sleeping this long but given the trying time she had this one time Atem was willing to give her some slack on the matter. Although, his patience on that subject was low.

Atem frowned as he entered the den to find it empty before he turned and immediately headed out into the clearing, heading for Joey and Anzu's den. He had asked Joey to keep an eye on their newest pack member, so Yami should have been with them.

"Joey! Where is Yami?" Atem barked as he entered their den without any prior warning.

Joey looked up from the deer leg he had been in the process of eating, a piece of meat hanging from his muzzle as he briefly locked eyes with Atem before lowering his gaze in respect.

"Uh, shouldn't she be in yer den Alpha?" Joey replied, his tone cautious. He clearly did not know the answer to his own question.

Atem growled as he began to advance on the smaller wolf. "Had she been in my den Joey I would not be here demanding to know her whereabouts. **You **were the one I put in charge of keeping an eye on her. So, I ask you again. **Where. IS. She?" **Atem snarled.

Joey immediately dropped the bone before he flopped onto his back, completely exposing his sensitive underbelly to the superior wolf. "I dunno. Last I saw she went fer a walk. I told her to head north of da clearing cause the hill to da south is rough an I didn't think she could transform at will." Joey whimpered.

Atem snarled, baring his teeth as he advanced down on Joey, who only whimpered in response. "You **IDIOT! **How could it not possibly occur to you that since she can't transform at will she can't scent the trees. How the hell did you expect her to find her way back to the clearing? And did you not forget about the rocky hills to the north as well?" Atem growled.

"Sorry." Joey whimpered.

"Not as sorry as you will be when I get back from finding her." Atem growled before he turned and sprinted out of the den and back to his own where he began sniffing. He needed to get Yami's scent so he could track her down. _Joey better fucking hope that she didn't end up hurt because of his incompetence. _

"Something the matter Alpha?" Seto inquired.

Atem grunted, "Joey was supposed to keep an eye on our newest pack mate while I was away from the clearing. His idea of keeping an eye on her was to let her go out for a walk alone north of the clearing. She can't transform at will nor does she know how to scent the trees. So now I need to go out and find her." Atem snarled.

Seto frowned, "Do you have her scent?"

Atem snorted, "Of course I have her scent! Not exactly that difficult to pick up the scent of the wolf that's been sharing my den, Seto."

Seto nodded, "I'll send Akefia and Marik with you. If she's hurt you'll need their help getting her back." Seto said.

Atem nodded as he began to sprint out of his den, "Akefia! Marik! With me! **Now!" **Atem barked as he headed into the woods, "And Seto, howl if she returns before we get back."

"I will. Good luck Alpha." Seto replied as Akefia and Marik both raced past him to follow Atem into the woods.

Atem raced into the woods, following the trail of Yami's scent. It didn't take Atem long to realize she had clearly gotten lost like he had suspected. The tree loops past the same tree was a big indicator. Atem could not help but growl as he continued to run. Joey was in deep shit when he got back to the clearing.

Atem frowned as the path turned to what he knew was a very steep and rocky hill. If she had fallen down that hill there was no chance that she hadn't have gotten hurt, that was if the fall hadn't outright killed her. The sun had already set long ago but the darkness did not impact Atem's ability to navigate the terrain.

He bounded down the steep hill like it was nothing. His nose still locked on Yami's scent. She was near, he could smell it.

Atem skidded to a halt beside a large rock more than halfway down the hill where Yami's prone form was lying. Atem pressed his muzzle in and could not be more relieved when he felt the puffs of her breath against his snout. She was still alive at least, but now they needed to get her back up the hill and back to his den before he began addressing her wounds.

"Marik! Akefia! Transform and help get her onto my back. She's hurt. Badly." Atem barked.

Akeifa and Marik immediately transformed before helping to lift Yami up onto Atem's back. Marik bounded back up the hill before coming back with long piece of vine which he looped around Yami's body and Atem's torso to secure her.

"You're good to go Alpha." Akefia barked.

Atem didn't reply but instead just began racing back up the hill. He'd get her tended to as best he could once he got her back to his den. As a general rule the pack did not rely on human doctors which meant that if they couldn't cure it themselves then the wolf was just going to be forced to deal with it. Some wolves had chosen to seek out human hospitals but that was on them. A personal preference, often made by those who identified more with their weaker human sides as opposed to their wolf side. This would certainly make teaching her how to hunt tomorrow a lot more challenging. _Joey, you are in for a world of pain. _Atem thought to himself as he raced back to the clearing.

Atem bounded into the clearing and immediately headed right into his den. Seto, it appeared had been waiting for him to return because he was right behind Atem heading into the den. "Fuck Atem, this looks bad." Seto cursed as his hands made quick work of the vine Marik had used to secure Yami to him.

"Lay her down on the pelts." Atem barked before he transformed as well and marched out of the den to grab what passed for medical supplied here. He returned with some sticks, pieces of vine, as well as some ointments and pain relievers that had been made from ground up plants found in the woods around them.

"Akefia! Marik! Get a fire going in here!" Seto barked as Atem laid out the supplies he'd collected.

Within minutes Atem's den was illuminated with the light from the crackling fire Akefia and Marik had started. The two wolves did not stick around, instead leaving to let the Alpha and Beta work.

"Ankle's sprained, thankfully not broken." Seto muttered as he examined the swollen and heavily bruised appendage. Atem nodded as he carefully straightened the ankle to the proper orientation, steadying it on either side with sticks which he then wrapped tightly with the pieces of vine.

Seto and Atem worked for over an hour treating Yami's wounds before both sat back. "Thank you for your help. Did you keep a list?" Atem inquired.

Seto nodded, "I did keep a list." Seto confirmed.

"Good. We'll deal with that come morning." Atem replied before he lay down in amongst the pelts, pulling Yami's body against his own. Seto quickly tossed dirt on the fire putting it out before he took his leave, trusting that Atem was more than capable to keep an eye on Yami from here.

XXXXXX

The first thing Yami noticed when she began to wake was that she was warm. The second was the pain, great gods above was she in pain. Everything hurt. Yami let out a small whimper as she tried to curl in on herself, however she was not permitted to do so.

Yami slowly cracked an eye open to lock gazes with the blood red eyes of Atem. "I would rest if I were you Yami. You were badly hurt and rest is the only way for you to recover. Thankfully we heal faster than humans but still you won't be doing any moving about for the next two days while we wait for your body to heal. This means I won't be able to have you shift again until the day before the full moon." Atem said, his voice coming out almost like a growl despite being in his human form.

"What happened?" Yami asked. To be honest, everything was a bit of a blur to her. She remembered going for a walk and getting lost in the woods before she fell down the hill. After that there was nothing.

"What happened was that you were an idiot going off into the woods by yourself. You are damn lucky I went out to find you otherwise you would have died out there." Atem growled.

Yami as she sunk further into the pelts, almost as if she was trying to subconsciously hide from Atem. "I'm sorry. Joey and Anzu said I was allowed to go for a walk." Yami said.

"And I will be dealing with Joey tomorrow. His stupidity and decision to not follow my orders nearly got you killed. One thing you will come to learn rather quickly around here. My word is law. When I give a command no matter if you agree with it or not. No matter if you think you know a better way. You are to obey me without question nor hesitation. Same with Seto. If the pack Beta tells you to jump, you ask him how high." Atem growled.

"I didn't think I'd disobeyed you. You never said I wasn't allowed to go for a walk." Yami replied.

"I didn't think I needed to leave such an obvious command. You are unfamiliar with the area and still not in tune enough with your wolf to be able to change at will or scent trees which would make finding your way back to the clearing unaided almost impossible." Atem replied.

"I needed to think. That's why I went for the walk, I just wanted to think about some things that don't make sense to me. You in particular don't make any sense to me." Yami mumbled.

Atem snorted, "And what precisely is it about me that doesn't make sense you? I am exactly who I claim to be. I behave exactly as any Alpha would." Atem replied.

Yami just shook her head, or tried to. Her head throbbed painfully with the attempt. "How you make me feel. That is what doesn't make any sense to me." Yami replied.

Atem snorted once more, "Don't worry about that. Your reaction to me is completely unimportant. Completely natural but at the moment irrelevant. Now, get some sleep. We will discuss this further in the morning." Atem replied.

Yami sighed, "Fine." She replied before she allowed herself to relax further into Atem's embrace, breathing in deeply the musky scent that she was coming to see was purely Atem.

"Atem?" Yami asked as her eyes once again began to slip shut.

"What?" Atem replied with a sigh.

"Thank you. For saving me." Yami whispered.

Atem merely snorted, "You have nothing to thank me for. As I said, you are a part of this pack. That makes your safety my responsibility. I would have gone after any member of this pack. Now, go to sleep." Atem replied.

Yami felt her body begin to relax further before she finally drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Pins and Needles

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

The next morning Yami was abruptly awoken by Atem harshly shaking her. "Huh, wha?" Yami muttered as she groggily tried to regain her bearings.

"Time to wake up. Just because you are injured does not mean I am going to let you lounge about in here all day. You are still a member of this pack and you will be a contributing member of this pack. Now, I'm going to carry you into the clearing were you are going to assist some of our other pack members with their work. I'm not saying where I put you today will be your permanent job because it will more than likely not be. But you will contribute. One of the most important aspects of belonging to this pack is that we all take care of one another." Atem declared before he crouched down with his back turned to her.

"Climb on." Atem ordered.

Yami sighed before she wrapped her arms around Atem's powerful shoulders and he easily lifted her up from the pile of pelts. She awkwardly wrapped her legs around his waist to steady herself. Atem didn't comment as he straightened and carried her out into the clearing. The sun had already risen and several wolves and humans alike were out of their dens.

Atem headed over to a group of women who were in their human forms that looked like they were doing some sewing. Once Atem reached them he somewhat roughly dropped Yami onto the ground beside them.

"Everyone, this is Yami. Our newest pack member. She'll be helping you with the sewing today." Atem declared before he turned to walk away.

"Atem! Atem, wait!" Yami shouted.

Atem paused briefly his entire posture rigid. "My title, Yami you will do well to remember, is Alpha. Do not address me so casually again. You are an ordinary bitch in this pack and you will be treated as such. Now, what is it that you wanted? Ask me quickly because I have other things I need to be doing." Atem practically growled.

Yami frowned before she awkwardly rose to her feet. Despite the bindings her ankle throbbed harshly, "Don't call me a bitch!" Yami shouted. And with Yami's shout it was like all sound ceased in the clearing as the pack as a whole held their collective breath, waiting for Atem's response.

Atem slowly turned to face Yami who starred defiantly back at him. Yami had no idea what had come over her but something inside her had just snapped. Too bad for Atem she had decided to take it out on him. "What did you just say to me?" Atem growled, his tone dark. Dangerous.

"I told you not to call me a bitch Atem! You want me to respect you as an Alpha than you have to…" Yami shouted, although whatever Atem was going to have to do would remain unsaid because much faster than Yami had anticipated Atem had closed the distance between them and struck out, knocking Yami into the dirt.

Yami attempted to try and scramble back to her feet however Atem planted a foot on her chest to hold her on the ground. "To be perfectly clear I can address you however I so chose Yami. Like it or not when Duke bit you, you became a bitch. One of **my **bitches. And you **will **respect my authority as your Alpha! I don't have earn that respect because as Alpha I already have it. You disrespect me like this again and you will earn a lot more than a mere smack. **Am I clear**?" Atem growled.

For a moment Yami said nothing other than bared her teeth up at the man standing over her. Atem applied a little bit more weight onto the foot resting on her chest, "**Am I clear?" **Atem repeated.

"Clear!" Yami snapped, her eyes blazing as she starred back up at Atem.

Atem nodded before he removed his foot and once more turned to walk away, acting like nothing had even happened. Yami sat back up before calling after him again, "Alpha!"

Atem paused once more, "What bitch?" Atem snapped, and Yami could clearly hear his impatience in his tone.

"I don't know how to sew." Yami called out. Behind her Yami could hear the women he had deposited her with sniggering.

Atem began to walk away once more snapping, "**Learn." **Over his shoulder as he strode away. Yami continued to glare after the retreating Alpha, watching as he effortless shifted before he ran out of clearing, off to do whatever Atem did to occupy his days.

Yami sighed once Atem had disappeared from sight before she turned her attention back onto the three women Atem had deposited her with, two of which were still laughing while a third was trying not to. "My my my. My brother certainly has his paws full with you, now doesn't he?"

Yami glanced up at the tanned brunet with bright green eyes, the only woman who currently wasn't laughing. The amused look she was giving Yami seemed tinged with something else? _It's almost like she's appraising me. _Yami thought to herself. "Your brother? Do you mean your actual brother or like your pack-mate, brother?" Yami asked.

The brunet smirked, "Alpha is actually my brother. We were both part of the late Alpha's litter. But even so, I would still never speak to him the way you just did. My name is Mana, by the way." Mana replied, extending her hand slightly for Yami to shake. Yami reached out and shook Mana's hand.

"Does it really matter how I spoke to him? He was being a jerk and he knew it." Yami muttered darkly.

Mana chuckled, "No, he was being an Alpha. It's just a part of who he is. He can be a very powerful personality. He has his tender moments, but they're rare. The Alpha is literally the backbone of our entire pack. Every single wolf here relies on him to provide for us and protect us. And that is a duty that he takes very seriously." Mana replied.

"Now, now Mana you and I both know that there is a lot more going on than the Alpha asserting his authority and our little pack mate fighting back. I must admit I was rather surprised all he did was pin our newest pack mate to the ground with his foot." A woman with fair skin and waist length long platinum blonde hair replied once she stopped snickering.

"Huh?" Yami replied, frowning slightly at the vague statement.

Mana just rolled her eyes, "Kisara leave my brother be. What he does, when he does it, and how is not really anyone else's business but his own." Mana replied.

"Hold on what do you mean there was more going on? I just didn't want Atem-I mean Alpha, calling me a bitch." Yami said suddenly. For some reason that made all three woman burst out laughing once more. Yami hated feeling like she was being left out of the joke.

Mana was the first to wind down her laughter, "Of course you didn't want him to address you as such. Now, where are our manners? Let me introduce you to the other ladies here. The blonde with the sense of humor beside me is Kisara, she is the mate to our pack Beta. We also have Serenity here to help. Serenity is Mako our 'master fishermans' mate.. I believe you met her brother yesterday. Joey, and his mate Anzu. And then there's of course me. I'm Mana, I don't think you've met my mate Malik yet." Mana introduced.

Yami nodded, "Nice to me you all, I guess. I honestly have no idea why he dropped me here. I've never sewn a day in my life." Yami said.

Mana shrugged, "No doubt Alpha brought you to us for two reasons. First reason is that sewing is a relatively simple task that you can learn to do to provide for the pack. Some of our pack prefer to spend their time in their human forms, they therefore require more clothes than most. Then there are those like Alpha who is in human form so infrequently that he had only two sets of pants and a couple of pelts that he'll sling around his shoulders. Good luck keeping those patched up." Mana replied.

"She'll have to get those deerhide pants off him first, now won't she?" Kisara interjected which made Yami flush.

Mana frowned, "Mind your tongue Kisara, lest Alpha hear you speaking that way. We both know he won't appreciate it." Mana scolded.

Kisara waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry Mana, I'm done. I know when to stop before I've crossed a line. Won't happen again, I promise. Now, onto the sewing." Kisara declared as he picked up a piece of fabric and began to expertly stitch the seam together.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't know how to sew." Yami muttered as she looked at the pile of fabric on the ground. For living in complete isolation they certainly had a wide variety of fabric types.

"As Alpha said, you can learn. Mana, Kisara and I can teach you. It's not that hard to learn, honest." Serenity said softly.

Yami sighed but nodded, "Fine, show me what I need to do." Yami conceded.

"Well, I guess you can help me stitch up my mate's cargo pants. Malik loves them problem is he seems to love ripping them. I've lost track of how many times I've patched these up for him." Mana replied holding out the pair of cargo pants with ripped knees and also a snagged seam.

"I would suggest you start with the seam first, seams are the easiest thing to repair." Kisara said, hardly lifting her eyes from her task. It looked like she was making some kind of collared shirt.

Serenity handed Yami a crude needle and some thread. "Start by putting the thread through the eye in the needle. Then we'll go from there." Serenity said.

Yami sighed but nodded, squinting slightly as she tried to thread the needle. It was a lot harder than it looked. Nineteen attempts later she had finally succeeded in threading the needle. "You said there were two reasons Ate-Alpha, had me working with you ladies today. But you only gave me one. What was the other reason?" Yami asked.

Kisara chuckled, "Oh, that's an easy one. After the mess yesterday when Joey failed to keep an adequate eye on you Alpha wasn't taking any chances. He knows without a doubt that the three of us can watch you while he's gone." Kisara replied.

Yami frowned, "But if I'm such a worthless bitch why does he care so much about having someone watch me." Yami muttered darkly.

Kisara just laughed before Mana stuck her with a needle, "That's more than enough. Now quit it." Mana growled.

"I'm done, I'm done. Promise." Kisara said, holding her hands up in apparent surrender.

"You should have been done the last time you made a comment." Mana growled.

"I didn't say anything this time though, just laughed. Even you have to admit it's kind of funny." Kisara replied.

"And I can't help but wonder if you shared the story with Alpha if he would be nearly as amused." Mana shot back.

Serenity was doing her best to ignore the other two women as she was focusing all her attention on trying to show Yami how to make a basic stitch. Yami was, sort of getting it. If by getting it you meant she was able to stick the needle through the fabric and pull the string all through. Her stitch was apparently too wide and apparently her first attempt she only went through one piece of fabric, not both. Second attempt, she got both but the stitch was way too loose to be of any use.

"This is ridiculous. See, I'm absolutely terrible at sewing." Yami muttered as she glared at the cargo pants, like they were personally responsible for her failure.

"You'll get it eventually, just be patient and let's keep trying." Serenity encouraged.

Yami sighed but tried yet again to make the perfect stitch. Which this time she did manage, sort of. It looked okay, if not a little bit crooked. Serenity nodded, "That looks good enough to me. Now do the rest of the seam just like that." Serenity said.

Yami nodded as she went work on her second stitch. "Say, can you guys tell me why some people are in human form and others in wolf form?" Yami asked.

"Personal preference. Some feel more comfortable in their human form, others feel more comfortable as wolves. Other times the work they are doing requires one form instead of another. For example, sewing like we're doing now would be pretty difficult in our wolf forms, hence why we're in human forms while we sew." Mana replied, having finally ended up bickering with Kisara.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense." Yami replied, and it did a little bit.

"I see you bitches are making new clothes? Made anything for me?"

The women rolled their eyes, "Does it look like we've made anything for you Marik?" Serenity replied.

Marik sighed, "No, but I could hope now couldn't I? But really, who's the bitch?" Marik asked, nodding his head towards Yami.

"This is Yami. She's the newest member of our pack." Mana said. Yami couldn't help but frown to herself as she harshly jabbed the needle in through the fabric she's been stitching before roughly yanking it out, as she tried to drown out the conversation around her. What the hell was wrong with her? She shouts at Atem for calling her a bitch but this other wolf refers to her exactly the same way and she didn't really care. It just didn't make any sense.

Maybe it was because a part of her expected more from Atem because he had been so kind to her that coming from him it felt like a slap in the face. She jabbed the needle harshly back in although this time she stabbed her finger in the process. "Damn it." Yami muttered as she shoved her bleeding finger in her mouth.

"See, I told you that you could learn how to sew." Atem whispered in her ear from right over her shoulder, close enough that she could actually feel his breath ghosting over her cheek and the heat from his skin. Now that she knew he was there she could even catch the slightest whiff of his unmistakable scent.

Yami flushed before she quickly shoved the pants she's been helping stitch under her leg, hiding it from Atem's sight. She knew the sewing had been crude and for some inexplicable reason she actually felt almost embarrassed to let Atem see her terrible sewing job.

"I'm sure there are many other jobs I could be doing a lot more skillfully around here instead of just sewing." Yami muttered. Not that she had the slightest idea what those jobs might be. She just figured there had to be something. Or that she had had the foresight to realize she was going to become a werewolf and had opted to take Home Economics this past school year.

Atem snorted, "Perhaps. Or perhaps not. You're still learning." Atem replied as he straightened up. A part of Yami was disappointed that he'd stood up because she knew that meant he was leaving.

"Maybe you could donate your pants and I could practice on them. Then you'd only have yourself to blame if they ended up falling apart at the seams." Yami replied.

This time it wasn't only Kisara who let out a loud bark of laughter, Marik and Serenity joined her as well. Mana it appeared was doing her best to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Atem growled low under his breath, "Enough. It's not remotely funny." Atem growled.

Marik and Kisara awkwardly cleared their throats as Serenity harshly bit her lip to stop laughing. "Uh, right. My thoughts exactly Alpha. Not remotely funny." Marik said.

"Now, you bitches might want to start cleaning up. We're going to be having another pack meeting in the clearing." Atem replied sharply.

"Don't call me a bitch, Atem." Yami snapped, whipping her head around to lock gazes with Atem. Marik awkwardly cleared his throat as he rose to his feet. Kisara and the others busied themselves with beginning to pick up the sewing.

Atem rose a brow, "I believe I already stated I can address you however I choose. And that my title is Alpha." Atem said calmly.

Yami really had no idea where this was coming from as she practically ground her teeth together. "Don't." Yami growled. Although unlike this morning both her and Atem were keeping their voices low, low enough that only the gathered group could hear their conversation.

Atem snorted before he turned away, "Mana, make sure Yami joins us in the circle. Put her by my usual spot, where I can keep an eye on her." Atem barked as he strode away.

"I will Alpha." Mana called out after his retreating back.

Yami groaned, "Why does he have to be such an ass?" Yami grumbled.

Mana just smiled, "I'm sure you'll figure it out in time. Now come on, I need to get you to your spot in the circle. Pack meetings are actually pretty rare. Wonder what Alpha needs to discuss this time?" Mana asked.

Yami shrugged. "Why do I have to sit in _his _spot. Why can't I just sit with the rest of you?" Yami asked.

"Because Alpha said where you're going to sit. I'm sure he has his reasons, and who are we to question those reasons?" Mana replied.

Yami sighed but nodded as she allowed Mana to awkwardly carry her to the same spot she had sat in yesterday when she had watched Duke being killed. She really hoped that she wasn't going to see another death today.

Atem was standing in the center of the clearing as the rest of the wolves gathered. Some remained in their human forms like Yami was whereas many of them padded over as wolves. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Kaiba practically dragging Joey into the center of the clearing.

"Thank you all for joining us here today. There are three points that I need to go over with you here today. The first point of order is another punishment. Joey here seemed to believe that he knew better than I did when I gave him a specific order regarding out newest pack member. I had instructed Joey to keep an eye on her while I was away and therefore unable to do so myself. Joey in his infinite wisdom allows our newest pack mate who cannot yet transform at will, is unfamiliar with the area and hasn't the slightest idea how to navigate her way through our surroundings to go for a walk unescorted. He merely warned her to head to the north of the clearing. As I'm sure you can see, our newest pack mate ended up badly injured due to Joey's disobedience of such a simple order." Atem declared.

There was a lot of growling and barking in response to Atem's words. Yami vaguely noticed how truly at home Atem looked standing in the center of the clearing addressing his pack as a whole. Even in what he referred to his weaker form his whole presence just seemed to exude power. It was quite a breathtaking sight watching him.

"In accordance with our laws, Joey is condemned to suffer the same fate as the wolf he endangered by disobeying my orders. When my Beta and I were treating her injuries my Beta was kind enough to keep a list of each and every injury Yami suffered as a result of Joey's ineptitude." Atem declared before he turned towards Kaiba who was still holding a struggling Joey by the collar of his shirt.

"Shall we begin Beta?" Atem asked, his tone dark almost coming out as a growl.

Kaiba nodded, "Let's." Kaiba declared before tossing Joey to the dirt at Atem's feet. Joey whimpered as Atem glared down at him. Atem nodded to a wolf on the edge and a thick piece of wood that looked almost light a broken tree limb four or five inches in diameter was tossed into the clearing, which Atem deftly caught.

"Pack member Yami's ankle was sprained." Kaiba declared although he paused for a moment, smirking, "Although, Joey's ankle will be broken. Alpha cannot be expected to check his blow limiting it to a mere sprain."

Atem knelt down, grasping Joey's foot with his left hand, holding the limb in place. Joey whimpered although Yami could not hear what it was he said to Atem. Atem either didn't listen to what Joey said or he was unswayed by Joey's pleas for mercy before he lifted the crude club high in the air before harshly swinging the club down with all his strength. Yami was able to clearly see the movement of Atem's muscles in his bare back as he landed the blow, filling the clearing with the sound of a resounding CRACK.

"OWWWWW!" Joey shouted as the blow landed, the exclamation almost sounding like a howl of pain.

"Pack mate Yami fractured three of her ribs, resulting from her tumble down the hill." Kaiba stated.

Once again Atem raised the club before he brought it down harshly three times in quick succession striking Joey in the side. Joey howled and yelped in pain with each harsh blow. He tried to curl in on himself to protect his midsection but neither Atem nor Kaiba would allow Joey to do so.

"And most importantly, Pack-mate Yami hit her head, the blow concussed her and had rendered her unconscious." Kaiba declared.

Once again Atem raised the club and Yami clenched her eyes shut. She could not watch Atem literally bash Joey's skull in. All she'd done was go for a walk. She had asked if she was allowed and Joey had said that she wasn't a prisoner here and she was free to leave the clearing if she chose. He'd offered to accompany her and she had refused his company. He hadn't made her go for a walk nor had he shoved her down the hill.

The smack sounded loudly through the arena however, Joey did not make a sound. The blow either striking him dead or knocking him out. Yami didn't know which one and a part of her didn't want to. Yami slowly blinked her eyes back open, hoping for a sign that Joey was alright.

"Now that that unpleasant piece of business has been settled onto the next point of order. " Atem replied casually as he rose back to his feet. "As many of you are aware we have been having territorial problems with a pack of ordinary wolves trying to encroach on us from the East. Myself and pack Beta Kaiba have attempted to address this issue with the encroaching pack with limited success. The pack will without question continue to invade our territory, nor will they leave quietly if caught. Every one of you needs to be aware of this very real threat and exercise caution when you are running through the woods. I don't want any of my pack mates to end up hurt or worse because of a conflict with this invading pack." Atem said sharply, and Yami for some reason thought Atem looked right as her when he finished speaking. She shook her head slightly to dismiss the notion, Atem had been speaking to the pack as a whole, not just her.

"And finally, as you are all aware the full moon is fast approaching. I'm sure you all know what that means. The day preceding the full moon, as is normally the case, is a day of no work since we will be up running with the moon that night. I know it goes without saying but especially because of the problems with the other pack of wolves under no circumstances are any wolves to be running alone that night. Find a buddy or a group to run with. I warn you, if either myself or Beta catch someone running on their own they will not like it. Am I understood?" Atem barked.

"Yes Alpha!" Was called out from around the pack, with a mix of barks from those still in their wolf forms. Regardless the form it was clear that Atem's words had been heard by the pack.

Atem nodded, "Dismissed." Atem barked. Yami still wasn't sure how he was able to make his voice sound so wolf-like even when he was in his human guise. _Maybe he does have a point and he really is a wolf that can become a man, not the other way around. _

Yami sighed as she shakily got back to her feet as the rest of the pack began to disperse. "Looks like I'm back to more sewing." Yami muttered to herself.

"And where do you think you're going off to?" Atem suddenly said, once again he was right behind her and Yami hadn't noticed his approach. She jumped, almost toppling over however Atem steadied her by resting his hands on her hips. The gesture would have been almost intimate if it hadn't been done by a rabid beast. Which made the slight quickening of Yami's heart at the contact even more puzzling.

"Back to the sewing, like you had commanded. Now, unless you are going to be donating your pants for practice I should probably be getting back to it." Yami replied cheekily. She had no idea why the topic of Atem's pants kept coming up. Comparatively speaking, his pants were incredibly boring; plain brown pants made out of deer hide, styled in a way that reminded her of an exhibit she had seen depicting Native Americans. Ever since Kisara had mentioned his pants earlier Yami couldn't seem to get the damn things out of her head. _How embarrassing. _

Atem snorted, "As pleased as I am to hear that you have embraced contributing to life here in the pack there are some other more important things that I need you for today. I think it's high time you and I sat down and I officially went over all the rules here in the pack. I can't expect you to obey rules you were not aware were in place." Atem said as he scooped Yami easily up into his arms bridal style. Yami flushed at the unexpected embarrassing position as she tried to bury her face in Atem's shoulder. Atem seemed completely unbothered by what he had done and carried her through the clearing and back into his wigwam before he deposited her back in the pile of pelts.

Atem sank down onto the pile of pelts beside Yami, draping an arm loosely around her shoulders pulling her body against his own. "Do pay attention, I will only go over these rules with you once. You will be responsible for remembering them." Atem warned.

Yami sighed as she made herself comfortable against Atem, breathing in his intoxicating scent. "I'm listening." Yami replied.

"As you already know, biting a human without consent from both the human in question and myself is against pack law punishable by death. A side note on that statement is don't bother asking my permission because my answer, without question, is going to be no. So, don't waste your breath trying to convince me why it would be a good idea." Atem said.

"Secondly, wolves without permission from the Alpha are forbidden from entering a human settlement. Many wolves here do have permission to do so, but there are a few that do not. They know who they are. As of right now you are one such wolf. Something you would do well to remember." Atem continued.

Yami frowned, "And what do I have to do to earn the right to earn the right to visit my grandfather? Or my friends?" Yami asked.

"Simple, you must first and foremost fully adapt to your new life. Also prove to me that you have sufficient control over yourself. The closer we get to the full moon the stronger the call of your wolf will become, but no matter the lunar cycle the call is always there. I know for a fact that you are feeling that call even if you don't fully understand what that even is yet. Trust me, when you have earned the right to visit your friends and your grandfather I will tell you. Do not bother me about it before then. If I have not told you that you were permitted to do so, then you are not. It is really that simple." Atem said.

"The third law is that you must stay within the boundaries of our territory, whether in human or animal form. Wandering outside these bounds can be dangerous. When we get you back into your wolf form next I will show you the boundaries of our territory so that you know where you are allowed to go. Given the threat of the invading pack of wolves I currently am going to forbid you from wandering around in the woods alone until such a time as I feel you are capable of fending for yourself. Again, if this changes I will tell you. Until I tell you otherwise you are **not** to be wandering around in the woods alone." Atem said.

Yami sighed, "Got it. Anything else I should know?" Yami asked.

"Not that I haven't already gone over with you. Now, do you have any questions for me?" Atem asked.

Yami nodded, "Several, but right now the most important one seems to be why were you such an ass earlier today?" Yami asked.

"You mean when you were disrespecting me in front of the entire pack and I put you in your place?" Atem asked.

Yami snorted, "I guess. Where you knocked me to the dirt and held me down with your foot." Yami replied.

Atem snorted, "Trust me, I went easy on you then. I should have been more forceful. Disrespecting me or arguing with me in private or relative private is one thing, like you did before the meeting. That's different. You calling me out in front of the entire pack like you did this morning is a different matter. **Do not do so again." **Atem growled.

Yami sighed, "Fine I won't. Just don't call me a bitch again either. I don't like it when you call me that. Quite frankly it pisses me off and I lash out when you do." Yami said.

Atem snorted once more, "I make no promises. I may very well address you as such," He paused for a moment and continued before Yami could object, "However, I will attempt to be more mindful of it."

Yami had no idea why that one single concession seemed to be so important to her, but figured that would be something for her to think on another day. "And now I should probably get you back to the sewing." Atem said.

Yami frowned, "I'm really bad at it." Yami whispered.

Atem shrugged, "You're learning. No doubt you will be very bad at a number of tasks. I'm already anticipating you to be a terrible hunter and whining at me about senseless animal rights. The more you practice a given task the better you will get at it." Atem replied.

Yami sighed before she slowly rose to her feet. Her ankle throbbed as she did before Atem rolled his eyes and scooped her back up into his arms, "I also believe I told you that I wanted you to try and stay off that ankle for a couple of days so it had time to heal." Atem whispered in Yami's ear.

Yami nodded, "I'll try." Yami replied.

"Good." Atem grunted before he turned over to a different corner of the wigwam, and crouched down briefly grabbing something off the ground which he then dropped on Yami's chest. A pair of deerhide pants.

"And since you seem determined to practice your sewing on my pants I figured I might as well give you my spare pair. The seams could not doubt use some reinforcing." Atem muttered as he carried the blushing Yami back out to the group of women who had reconvened following the end of the meeting. Atem dropped her back on the ground beside the group before he turned and strode away without so much as another word.

"What do you have there, Yami?" Kisara asked.

Yami's blush deepened before she muttered, "Alpha's pants."

This time not even Mana was able to keep from laughing as Yami flushed a dark shade of red. She did her best to ignore the laughter around her as she picked up her needle and thread. Atem had given her his pants to practice on. She would stitch the best seam he'd ever seen, no matter how long it took her to.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Full Moon

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

The next two days had passed by in a blur. Atem would wake her up at dawn practically to carry her out into the clearing and drop her off with Mana, Kisara and Serenity for another marathon of sewing. Yami had spent hours working on reinforcing the damn seams on Atem's pair of pants, much to the displeasure of her aching fingers. The deer hide was a lot tougher to sew through than the cargo pants she'd been learning on had been.

She had asked Atem where the pants had come from and he ended up telling her he'd given her his winter set to practice on. He had one summer set and one winter set. Yami could not possibly fathom how someone, even a beast like Atem, could make due with only two pairs of pants. _Maybe once I get the hang of sewing I can make him another pair that way he has a spare in the event something happens to one of these. And maybe make him a shirt while I'm at it. _Yami had mused, much to the amusement of the women she'd been sewing with.

However, today was the day before the full moon and it was also the day Atem had declared she was going to be resuming her wolf form. Something she had actually been dreading. Yami actually had woken up before Atem, a rarity to be sure, and carefully climbed out of his grasp and exited the wigwam. Her ankle, thankfully, no longer hurt when she walked on it. _I guess there is one good thing about this whole werewolf thing, my sprained ankle healed a LOT faster than it normally would have. _

The sun had not yet risen and the sky was still dotted with stars. The nearly full moon shining brightly yet almost ominously in the early morning sky. The ground was actually still damp with the early morning dew. It was quiet, almost eerily quiet. It had never been this quiet back at home with her grandfather, even with living on the edge of Domino City there had still always been some kind of noise. Yet out here it was completely silent.

"What are you doing up so early?" Atem whispered in her ear, startling Yami like was becoming a terrible habit of his.

"Would it kill you to at least announce yourself? I swear, first thing I'm going to do when I get back to civilization is buy you a damn collar with a bell on it so I can hear you coming." Yami muttered.

Atem snorted, "That would certainly be counterproductive to hunting and bringing down prey, now wouldn't it?" Atem replied.

"But at least you'd stop scaring me." Yami muttered.

Atem smirked, "Then perhaps you should just pay better attention to your surroundings. Then you might be able to notice me coming." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She muttered.

"That eager to return to your true form?" Atem inquired.

Yami frowned, "More like dreading turning back into an animal again." Yami replied, and she had absolutely hated it. She hated that this other entity within her was so drastically different than who she was as a person and that she felt like she was losing herself to this beast that was living within her. Probably the worst part about transforming this time was Atem's vow that he would not help her to turn back into her human form again. Which meant she might be stuck as a wolf for days, weeks or even months.

Atem sighed, "It'll get easier with time. I promise. I remember having a similar discussion with my father. I couldn't understand why I would ever want to turn into a human. He made me spend two weeks in my human skin before he allowed me to turn back. Still don't much care for it, but there are times where I don't have a choice in the matter. Like now for example." Atem replied.

Yami turned so that she was facing Atem, "This may sound like a stupid question, but why do you not have a choice in the matter now? I mean, everyone keeps saying how you're almost never in your human form. I've hardly seen you in your wolf form." Yami asked.

Atem chuckled, "The reason for that is really quite simple. You." Atem said.

Yami frowned, "Me? What do I have to do with which form you're in?" Yami asked.

"You are not yet familiar enough with your wolf form to be able to understand me when I speak as a wolf. For that reason I have been in my human form far more than I would have preferred." Atem replied.

"Does it hurt, to change form without help?" Yami asked.

Atem shrugged, "I have heard that it can. And wolves who try to fight the call of the moon have said that can be very painful. I've never had any pain while shifting. The key to shifting without pain is to keep yourself calm and to not fight the shift as it happens. Pain comes if you fight." Atem replied.

Yami snorted, "Is that why you told me to focus on the birds singing or the sound of your voice when you guided me to change form?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "That was exactly why. And it helped you didn't it?" Atem replied.

"I guess. Well, we might as well get this over with. Since I can't convince you otherwise." Yami muttered.

"Then sit down and we can get this going." Atem replied before he plopped down on the ground. Yami sighed before she sank down on the ground beside him. Atem wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in as close as he possibly could to his own body. It never ceased to amaze Yami how much heat Atem's body seemed to constantly exude.

"Just relax. Focus on the sound of my heart. The smell of my body. The feel of the breeze dancing through the trees." Atem whispered.

Yami felt her eyes slip closed as she focused the sound of Atem's heart beating in his chest. His heartbeat like everything else Yami had come to know about Atem sounded powerful. She breathed in deeply smelling in Atem's scent, focusing on the comforting feel of his arms wrapped tightly around her body. She truly felt at peace right here.

She noticed the pull from deep within her but as she continued to just allow Atem's presence to ground her she was able to just ignore it. The shift came a lot faster this time than it had before, taking only about a minute before she snapped her eyes open when Atem had nudged her with his snout.

"Follow me." Atem grunted before he trotted through the clearing and out into the woods heading to the North of the clearing, where Yami had gotten lost before. Yami bounded after Atem, for some reason it was still very disorienting to her, moving in her wolf form…but at the same time it physically felt natural to her. Regardless one apparent difference was the terrain she had struggled to navigate in her human form was no problem in her wolf form and she was able to with little or no difficulty keep up with Atem as he trotted through the trees.

"Where are we going?" Yami barked as Atem turned onto a practically invisibly path which began to slope up.

"You'll see when we get there." Atem grunted back as he continued to wind his with through the trees, pausing briefly to rub his body against the trees as he passed.

Yami trotted a little bit faster so she was able to bump her body against Atem's. "Why are you rubbing against the trees?" Yami asked, butting her head against Atem's shoulder.

Atem snorted, "You'll see." Atem replied before he picked up the pace racing a little bit further ahead. The path was getting much steeper, and rockier as well. Yami let out a small bark of laughter as she picked up the pace racing after Atem. _If he wants to play a game of tag, then I'll catch him. _

Although catching Atem was a lot harder than she had assumed it would be. He moved incredibly swiftly through the trees before he bounded up onto a large boulder before up onto another. Yami did her best to follow behind him, although she was nowhere near as graceful as Atem was.

She finally caught up to the Alpha when he came to a stop, seated atop what almost seemed like a mountain peak.

"So, I take it this is the mountain top some of the other wolves said that you sometimes come to." Yami grunted as she bumped her head against Atem and sat down beside him.

"It is one of two mountain tops that I have been known to frequent, yes." Atem replied.

"Oh? And where is the other one?" Yami asked. Now that she had stopped trying to think about what she wanted to say she had come to realize 'speaking' as a wolf was so much easier than she had thought it would be.

"On the Eastern Boundary of our territory. For obvious reasons I did not choose to take you to that particular peak today." Atem grunted.

"And why did you bring me up here?" Yami asked yet again.

Atem jerked his head out over the trees, "Look." He grunted. Yami looked up and was able to see as the sun began to slowly blink over the horizon line. The dark sky was now tinged the faintest shade of violet as the first rays of the rising sun could be seen. In the distance she could make out the silhouette of Domino City miles away from where her and Atem were sitting. Atem laid down on the ground, tucking his paws beneath him as he continued to look out at the rising sun. Yami mimicked him, lying down beside him, however instead of laying her head atop her own paws she rested her head across his own.

The two laid atop that mountain for hours watching the sunrise. A part of Yami realized this was the first time in her entire life she'd ever stopped and watched the sun rise before. And this scenic view up here alone with Atem almost made it even more special. _I'll have to tell my Grandpa all about this. _Yami thought to herself.

Once the sun had finally finished rising Atem straightened up. Yami whimpered slightly because she was not quite ready to leave just yet. She'd been really enjoying the peaceful time with Atem. Had she still been a human she would have almost thought it would have been romantic. Of course as a wolf it was no doubt nothing out of the ordinary.

"Now for the real reason I brought you up here." Atem grunted.

"And that is?" Yami snorted.

"I want you to find your way back to the clearing." Atem replied.

Yami frowned, "And how would you expect me to do that?" Yami replied.

Atem snorted as he approached Yami, his tongue flicking out expectantly, catching the end of Yami's snout. "Use your nose. I left you a pretty clear scent path all the way back. Even you should be able to follow my scent back to the clearing."

"And what if I get lost?" Yami whimpered slightly.

Atem snorted once again, butting her head against her own. "You won't. And if you do, I'll be behind you in case you run into any trouble." Atem vowed.

"How far behind me?" Yami asked.

Atem butted his head against Yami, "Far enough back that you won't notice me. You will be finding your way back on your own. You won't be able to see me, but trust me I'll be able to see and hear you. Unless you end up in trouble you won't see me until you are back in the clearing. Once you've found your way back I'm going to attempt the impossible task of teaching you how to hunt." Atem grunted.

Yami rolled her eyes before she turned and began to make her way down the boulders. Going down was actually somewhat easier than jumping up, however once Yami was back amongst the trees she was completely lost.

_Use my nose. Atem told me to use my nose. _Yami reminded herself as she began to start sniffing the trees. After sniffing seven or eight trees she almost was ready to give up when she sniffed one more and was able to pick up Atem's unmistakable scent. She let out a bark of joy at the realization she had actually found Atem's scent on a tree. _I actually found it! _

Once she had the scent she focused on trying to follow the path. Which, wasn't exactly super easy but she was able to awkwardly track Atem from tree to tree, now the reason why he had been rubbing against so many trees made perfect sense. _And here I had thought he just wasn't paying attention to where he was going. _

Yami picked up the pace as she continued to run through the trees. It was getting easier to follow the trail of Atem's scent the more she did it and with a bark of triumph Yami ran back into the clearing. "I did it!"

Seconds later she felt Atem's head butt against her side. "Told you, you could find your way back." Atem grunted.

Yami butted her head back against Atem's, "Your right. Thank you."

"You'll soon discover that my scent is all over these trees. I try to keep clear paths marked to all the major landmarks around us. Once you get more familiar with your own scent you can leave your own scent paths marking the way back." Atem grunted.

"Now, onto the more difficult task. Teaching you how to hunt." Atem grunted.

Yami snorted as he followed Atem back out of the clearing. _This is certainly going to be an experience. _

XXXXX

The next morning Yami woke up early once again. She had slept with her body curled up against Atem's however instead of sleeping in the wigwam in human form like she had been, the two had actually curled up just outside under the stars. For some reason this time the almost full moon didn't terrify her as much as it had the day before.

As far hunting, Yami was going to mark that a work in progress. She had stopped whining at Atem about the cute little animals when she turned her focus to actually trying to catch one. A task that was a LOT harder than she had thought it would be. Atem and her and been out for almost six hours before she'd managed to finally catch herself a squirrel.

She had probably looked absolutely ridiculous standing in front of Atem practically grinning with sheer pride with a dead squirrel hanging from her jaws. She may have been absolutely exhausted from chasing the damn thing for over two hours, but for some reason the look of pride shining in Atem's eyes when she'd managed to catch the squirrel made it worth all the effort she'd put into chasing it.

And to be perfectly honest it didn't taste half bad either. And that was something she'd never thought she'd say.

Today according to Atem was going to be a day spent relaxing and lounging. The pack always went for a run in the light of the full moon.

"You're becoming quite the early riser." Atem grunted.

Yami lightly butted her head against Atem's shoulder. "I guess I'm feeling kind of anxious. Tonight is the full moon." Yami said.

"It is. You'll notice that it is one of the nights where your human heart is at its quietest. On this one night month all of us are truly wolves." Atem replied.

Yami snorted, "I thought you already were a wolf."

"I am. Just on the night of the full moon I am a little bit more in tune with myself than I am on any other day. It is something you will just have to feel to understand." Atem replied.

"So, what do we do on this big run you mentioned?" Yami asked.

"Typically, the pack splits off either into pairs or small groups. It's almost I guess you would say a night for us to celebrate the wolves we actually are. We run through the trees, almost playing until the moon dips below the horizon line. Then, we come back here and sleep. It's a simple celebration to be sure, but it is essential to who we are." Atem explained.

"And who does the mighty Alpha run with?" Yami asked.

"Tonight. I'm running with you. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself hurt." Atem grunted.

"And who do you normally run with?" Yami asked.

"Normally I run with everyone yet no one. I would just keep an eye on the entire pack, crossing paths with them periodically as I run." Atem replied.

"And tonight?" Yami asked.

"Tonight Kaiba has volunteered for that duty. He's knows it's your first run and that I'll be busy keeping my eyes on you." Atem replied.

Yami grunted, "Okay. So, what do you want to do now?" Yami asked.

"Now, we are going to just lounge, as I said, once the moon rises we run." Atem said.

Yami was quite for a moment before she laid down beside Atem on the ground. Yami frowned as her gaze landed on a tan woman with long black hair who looked very familiar for some reason...familiar but Yami could have sworn she'd never seen the woman in the clearing before.

"Atem?" Yami asked.

"What?" Atem grunted.

Yami nodded her head in the woman's general direction. A man with shoulder legnth brown hair sat down beside her and gently draped his arm around her shoulders. She hadn't seen the man before either. Not to say she was at all familiar with all of the wolves in their pack but she had definitely not seen either of them.

"Who are they?" Yami asked.

Atem glanced up briefly before he laid his head back down, "That is Ishizu and her _husband _Mahad. They only ever return to pack grounds for the full moon." Atem growled.

Yami frowned, "Then why does she look so familiar to me?" Yami asked.

"Probably because she was the doctor who informed you that you were now a Were." Atem replied.

Yami shot Atem a questioning look, "Wait, so she is a human doctor and lives and works in the human world?" Yami said.

"That is the choice she has made for herself and her _husband_. She also has all but clipped his balls off. Forced him to leave the pack and live almost exclusively in his weaker form. And the ball less wolf let her. But yes, that is the choice they made. We only see them for the full moon." Atem growled.

"Oh." Yami said slowly.

Atem snorted, "Don't even think about it. Just because that bitch, Ishizu made that choice doesn't mean I will allow you to make the same idiotic choice. She chose wrong. You won't." Atem growled.

Yami fell silent as she rested her head a top her paws, her eyes still locked on Ishizu and Mahad. _To be perfectly honest it just sounds to me Atem that you and I just have a drastically different opinion on what the right and the wrong choice would be. _

Yami starred at Iszhizu and Mahad for quite a while before she got to her feet. Atem glanced up at her, "Where are you going?" Atem asked.

"I just want to ask Ishizu a couple of quick questions. Then I'll be right back. I promise." Yami said.

Atem snorted before he laid back down, "Fine, but be quick. And just remember no matter how many similarities you are determined to draw between Ishizu and yourself you are both drastically different dealing with very different similarities." Atem said.

Yami didn't say anything in response before she trotted over to where Ishizu was sitting beside Mahad, next to her was a duffel bag which Ishizu had opened and she'd pulled out what appeared to be a medical journal that she had begun reading.

Yami came to a stop a few feet away from the pair, hesitating. _Will they even be able to understand me in this form? _Yami mused. She really hoped they could because she honestly needed to speak to someone who at least had a remote idea of what she was going through. Something that Atem most certainly did not.

"Ishizu?" Yami said slowly.

Ishizu glanced up at Yami frowning slightly, "Hello, I can't say that I recognize you but that doesn't really mean anything. Can I help you with something?" Ishizu asked.

Yami nodded, "Well, its me Yami. The patient you had earlier this week that was attacked by a werewolf." Yami said.

Ishizu's eyes widened with recognition, "Ah, so it is. How have you been settling in Yami? Its quite an adjustment to make, isn't it?" Ishizu said.

Yami nodded, "For some reason that statement doesn't seem to even come close. Anyway, the reason I came over to talk to you was that according to At...I mean, Alpha, you were the last human before me that had been turned. And I was wondering if you could give me some tips on how you made the adjustment." Yami said.

Ishizu chuckled, "Yes, I suppose that is true. But that was quite a long time ago. I was bitten when I was what Mahad, Twenty one? Twenty two? Something like that. I know I ended up having to take a whole semester off from college in order to make the adjustment. The good thing was my bite was planned so I was able to take the time off from school before I was bitten." Ishizu said.

Yami frowned, "How did you even meet Mahad?" Yami asked.

Ishizu sighed, "I met him in college actually. Mahad was attending one of the same college courses that I was while I was still an undergrad. I think it was one of my chemistry classes and we ended up paired together as lab partners. After class one day Mahad asked me for a cup of coffee, I think I was nineteen at the time. Anyway, we really hit it off and we fell in love. I will admit, I did start dropping hints. What girl wouldn't in my shoes? I had been dating this awesome guy for going on two years it wasn't outlandish to start thinking about marrying him. Then one day Mahad turns up with a man who he introduced to me as Aknamkanon Sennen. And that was what led to the bizarre 'I am a werewolf' conversation. I think that first conversation I laughed Mahad out of my apartment. It literally took me watching him shift three days later for me to even begin to take the conversation seriously." Ishizu said.

"But why did you agree to take the bite? Couldn't you be with Mahad like you already had been?" Yami asked.

Ishizu nodded, "Looking back on that now I do wonder about that and if I had to make the same choice all over again I probably would have chosen differently. At the time I will say I was young and in love and the combination of the two did lead for me to make my poor choice. Back then the way I looked at it was there would have always been a part of Mahad's life that I wouldn't be able to be a part of if I didn't take the bite. And the romantic idiot that I was didn't want that. I wanted to be able to share everything with him...which came to encompass becoming a wolf with him once a month. So, I agreed." Ishizu said.

"How did you cope with being changed?" Yami asked.

Ishizu shrugged, "It was definitely difficult. I mean, yes, I did have Mahad here to help me which was very nice. During the first six months while I was getting used to everything I was not very kind to him. In fact after the first week of becoming a wolf I actually thought about breaking up with him I was so upset. Mahad at first had the idea that we would leave civilization behind and join the rest of the packs here in the woods. Which, was absolutely ridiculous. Thankfully, Mahad dropped that notion pretty quick and once I began to get used to everything I mellowed out. And once I was able to mentally shut the animal side of me up Aknamkanon gave his approval for me to return to civilization if I so chose. I seized the chance and moved back into my apartment with Mahad and started going back to college. Mahad and I ended up getting married and we have a nice, normal life. The only complication is that once a month we have to head into the woods and become wolves. Its more of an annoyance than anything else. Hopefully with time medicine will come up with a way to silence the call all together and then even the pull of the moon won't force us to transform. But, sadly we're probably more than a decade away from that." Ishizu said.

"Oh. But, after you got used to everything you were able to return to your normal life?" Yami asked.

Ishizu nodded, "Of course. The key though is you have to get through the adjustment. With making the adjustment comes control over the animal that lives inside us. Once you manage to figure out how to put a muzzle and leash on the wolf then you'll be fine. You're a smart girl Yami, I'm sure you'll figure it out and be back with your grandfather and your friends soon enough." Ishizu said.

"Yami! Come over here." Atem barked.

Yami sighed, "Well, it was nice talking to you Ishizu. Thank you for answering my questions." Yami said.

"No problem dear. Perhaps we can talk more before the next full moon if you think of any more questions for me." Ishizu said.

Yami nodded before she padded back over to Atem. "Yes Atem?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded down to a rabbit, "Eat and then you should probably get some rest. Tonight is going to be your first big run. You'll need plenty of energy for that." Atem said.

Yami plopped down on the ground and began to eat the rabbit. Atem laid down beside her, butting his muzzle against the side of her face, "It would probably be for the best if you forgot everything Ishizu told you. As I said your situations are drastically different and it will be detrimental to you if you try and force yourself to fit into Ishizu's situation." Atem said.

"It doesn't mean in six months a part of me isn't hoping that I'll be able to return home. See my grandfather. See Mai. Go back to school and be a normal teenager again." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "What you are forgetting with that statement is that even if you are able to return home and see your grandfather and Mai it still won't change the fact that you are still going to be a wolf. Returning to any semblance of your old life doesn't undo what has happened. If anything it will no doubt just make it harder for you to deal with. Not easier." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "I disagree because I would have the support of people around me helping me through it."

Atem rolled his eyes, "Of course. How could I have forgotten that no one here had helped you or supported you while you've been undergoing these changes." Atem growled.

Yami rolled her eyes, "That isn't what I meant and you know it. You have helped me. A lot. And I appreciate that." Yami said.

Atem snorted, "You don't sound very appreciative."

"What I was saying is that my grandfather loves me and knows me for who I am as a person. Mai is my best friend. We do almost everything together. The two of them would be able to see things from my point of view. Something you either can't do or just refuse to. Either way, they will be able to support me in a way you won't." Yami said.

"I provide you with the support you need. And I think you underestimate how much I have been helping you to adjust. Something your grandfather and your friend wouldn't know how to do. In fact, if you return to them too soon no doubt they will try and pressure you into repressing your wolf. Which is wrong. The wolf is a part of you. No matter what happens that will always be the case and it is in your best interest for you to accept that." Atem said.

Yami fell silent as she returned to eating the rest of her rabbit and Atem laid down beside her. However, Yami could not help but wonder if perhaps Atem did have a point? Would Mai be upset that there was a part of Yami's life that she couldn't share in anymore? Would she be freaked out? Would she try and inject her with silver or something like that? Would Mai ask to be bitten so she could be a wolf like Yami? And what if she ended up with a boyfriend like her and Mai had planned? This would just be one massive secret she needed to keep.

Yes, Atem certainly accepts the animal part of her. He was great at bringing out the wolf and he was so patient especially when he was taking her hunting yesterday where she no doubt made a complete and utter fool of herself. But the frustrating thing is he doesn't seem remotely interested in learning about the human Yami. The real Yami. And to be honest that was what she really wanted right now.

XXXXXXX

The day passed somewhat quickly, but one thing Yami had noticed throughout the day was a sort of restlessness that had slowly begun to build within her. Another minor thing she had vaguely noticed was that as the day passed she could hear her human mind less and less. It almost felt like her human consciousness was beginning to drift off to sleep. _Maybe that is what Atem meant by under the light of the full moon we truly become wolves. _Yami quietly mused.

Yami felt the moon begin to rise before she was able to see it over the tree line. Something almost primal seemed to overcome her and the desire to run was strong. Run where she didn't know, all she did know was that she needed to run. To run. To howl.

Atem rose from where he'd been lying beside her, a spot he had occupied almost the entire day before letting out a loud howl, "LET'S RUN!"

And with Atem's howl the entire pack raced out of the clearing heading in a multitude of different directions. Atem playfully nipped at Yami's flank before cocking his head to the side and taking off. Yami let out a bark of laughter as she raced after him.

Her and Atem raced through the trees before eventually reaching a meadow probably ten or so miles from the confines of Domino City before Atem finally came to a stop. Yami locked gazes with the Alpha for a brief moment before she charged forward, slamming into his side and knocking him to the dirt.

"Catch me if you can." Yami barked before she began to race off thought the meadow. Never in Yami's entire life had she ever felt more alive. Yami raced and dodged around the meadow, she could hear Atem's paws racing a very short distance behind her. She knew that with little effort on his part he'd be able to easily overtake her.

She let out another playful bark as she dodged to the left, barely managing to avoid the charging Alpha by mere inches. "So close, come on you can do better than that? Or are you conceding I'm faster than you?" Yami playfully barked.

Atem let out a low rumbling sound. Not quite a growl but that was probably the closest sound to describing it. "Oh, I'll catch you." For some reason that vow seemed to thrill Yami more than anything else and she put more energy into trying to avoid the pursuing Alpha. Up ahead Yami could hear the sound of water running however just before Yami was able to reach the riverbank she felt Atem's powerful body slam into her own, tackling her to the dirt.

"Caught you." Atem grunted.

Yami let out a satisfied grunt, "That you did. What are you going to do about it?"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Atem rumbled in her ear, the sound setting off a fire Yami had never felt before in her entire life.

"I think you know exactly what I want you to do about it mate." Yami rumbled back in return.

"Make you heavy with my pups." Atem rumbled as he slowly climbed off Yami before she felt his jaws lock onto her fur as he tugged her up onto her feet.

"Yes." Yami grunted as she felt Atem's weight settle atop her, his front paws on either side of her torso and she felt his massive member pressed at her back by her tail.

"You are mine, mate. Mine and mine alone." Atem grunted before he harshly slammed into Yami's willing body.

Yami let out a joyful howl as Atem and her joined. "YES! YOURS, ONLY YOURS. FOREVER!"

Atem grunted and groaned behind her as he continued to slam into Yami's body, under the light of the brightly shining full moon. Yami groaned as well, occasionally letting out a bark or yip of pleasure. Everything about this felt completely right, exactly as it was meant to be. Her Alpha mate mounting her.

Atem let out a primal howl as he released into Yami's body, filling his mate with his seed. Yami's howl, joining her triumphant mate's. Their joyful howls telling the pack as a whole of their mating.

Their howls were joined by the congratulatory howls of their pack mates. Atem finally stilled and he pressed down on Yami's body slightly so that she lowered to the ground with Atem still buried inside her. Atem flicked out his tongue, licking his new mate's shoulder as he waited to finish with his new mate.

When the time finally came for the two to part Atem slipped from his mate's body. Yami whimpered slightly at the loss. Atem trotted forward licking his mates face as he did so.

"Let us run my mate. Don't worry I will no doubt mount you again before the night is through." Atem rumbled. Yami let out a joyful yip before she raced off back across the meadow, her mate right behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Mates

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Atem awoke relatively early the following day. He and his new mate had run back up to his favorite mountain top where he had mounted her once more, mating her again as close to their sacred full moon as he was physically able. He glanced down to see his new mate was still sleeping soundly beneath him, his member still buried deep within her.

With a reluctant sigh Atem climbed off his mate and stretched. He needed to hunt, as her mate as well as her Alpha it was his job to provide for her. Which included providing her with a good meal following their joining.

With the setting of the moon came the return of Atem's sense of logic. Something he had never truly missed during the light of a moon. Human emotions and logic tended to dilute what was a very basic and primal night. He and Yami had mated, as many of his pack had expected would happen. He himself had even expected it to a certain degree, just not necessarily last night.

His pack had had a problem. A problem in the form of not enough females for all the males. And because wolves mated for life no one, not even the Alpha, wanted to be bound to someone just for the sake of having a mate. Perhaps that desire for a meaningful partnership was born from their human side, but whatever the source one thing remained clear. Mating's were sacred. And mating's were for life.

Before Duke had attacked Yami Atem had been considering looking outside the pack for a potential mate. There was another Were pack about sixty miles to the north, over the mountains and on the other side of another massive human settlement. He and Seto had discussed him reaching out to see if there were any unmated females, but Duke's attack on Yami had put an end to that plan before it had even born fruit.

So, when Atem had interrupted Duke's attack and his pack came to understand they would be gaining another female pack member Seto had suggested that Atem personally help her to adjust. Atem had not been blind to the possibility of a connection developing between the pair. A part of him had hoped one would be born but he wasn't going to force the issue. If it had not been meant to be then he would have turned his attention elsewhere.

Yami had certainly been different than any of the females in Atem's pack, and that difference had not solely been due to her having been raised a human. She was deeply drawn to him and he had figured out that first day that his scent was able to calm her, a fact that he had made good use of while helping to guide her through her transformations.

Now, every Alpha had a powerful scent. That was a fact. He remembered Mana telling him when they were younger that he stank something awful. However, no female in his pack had ever really been drawn to his scent, not like Yami had been. He had noticed it even in human form while he held her in his arms she kept burying her face in the crook of his neck. No matter how he shifted she always repositioned herself so that while she slept she was still able to breathe him in.

That had been a promising sign. Her own scent was one he too had enjoyed, although he was strong enough to not allow a scent to over whelm his senses. No matter that she smelled like the fresh water and lavender, a truly refreshing scent that he did enjoy breathing in.

However, the most promising sign had been when she had purposely begun to try and, to use a human turn of phrase, flirt with him. When she had stood up to him in front of the pack and demanded that he not address her as a bitch that had been a sign to every wolf in the entire pack that she wanted to be his mate. By calling her a bitch Atem had been telling Yami that she was just another unimportant female in his pack. By Yami demanding that he view her differently she was telling him, and everyone else, that she wanted Atem to see her as an equal.

Turning away at that point and only dealing with the disrespect had taken every ounce of his self-control. A primal part of him had almost wanted to pin Yami beneath him in the middle of the clearing, and not with his foot like he had done. And don't get him started on the whole thing with his pants! As an unspoken rule, clothing is made and repaired by the female of a given family unit. No one had touched his clothing since he had become the pack Alpha, because it was understood that that role would fall to his own mate when he took one. When he had given Yami his pants the pack knew that eventually he was going to take Yami as his mate. It was only going to be a matter of time.

Atem carefully crept through the forest. He was hoping he'd be able to find his new mate a deer. The drive to find a good meal for her was powerful, he needed to demonstrate that he could provide for her and any pups she was able to provide him. Atem crouched low as he came upon a good sized buck, bringing down a buck without the aid of his pack mates would be a challenge even for him. Every wolf knew those antlers were not just for show.

Atem crouched low in the brush, waiting patiently for the right time to pounce. Last night when he and Yami had gone out for their run he had truly intended for it to be just a run. However, when Yami stepped things up by beginning a mating ritual Atem's instincts took over. She had wanted him to mate her as much as he had wanted her. A part of him, thinking back, wanted to argue that if he'd still had his human logic at his disposal he would have known he needed to step back and tell Yami what was going on. Make her aware of the consequences of her actions before proceeding. However, that logic was beyond both of them last night.

The buck carefully began to pick his way through the trees, moving even closer to Atem's hiding spot. _Just a few more feet, then you're mine. _Atem thought to himself as he watched the buck continue to approach him. Atem held perfectly still, his eyes locked on the buck as it took three more steps, almost passing Atem's hiding spot, leaving its side exposed.

Atem sprang from the brush his body slamming into the 185 pound buck, sinking his jaws into the buck's exposed side. The buck thrashed about, attempting to dislodge Atem's hold but Atem held firm. Then the buck moved just right, forcing Atem to loosen his grip allowing the buck to knock him off and flee. Atem was sprinting after the buck as fast as he could. Because the buck was already wounded he was moving slower than he normally would.

In an ordinary hunt this would have been the time his pack mates began to close in on the injured buck to help bring it down without allowing it to flee such a great distance. Atem continued to race after the buck before he once again slammed into the beast, this time managing to knock the buck to the brush. The buck kicked out at him and swung his head about wildly in a desperate bid for his survival.

But Atem was not to be dissuaded as he sank his jaws back into the buck's throat and ripped the flesh open. The buck was dead within minutes. Atem climbed off the buck's body before grabbed the buck by the back of his neck and beginning the challenging task of dragging the carcass out of the woods and back up the mountain top where his new mate was currently sleeping.

Next was going to come the difficult task of explaining to his new mate about their change in status. _And I should probably inform her that she is more than likely carrying my pups. We'll know that for sure in a few days' time. _Atem thought to himself as he tugged the buck out from the tree line and up to the beginning of the rocky slope. Although, given everything else his new mate is coping with perhaps Atem might be better off not informing her of that news until he knew for certain she was with pups.

Atem tugged the buck up onto the first boulder. If his new mate was pregnant she would carry for 120 days before she bore pups. Werewolf litters typically averaged between 2 and 4 pups, although litters as large as 6 pups were possible. He at least hoped one of the pups was female. Although more than one female would definitely be preferable, otherwise he had a bad feeling he was going to have to start permitting the younger generation to bite humans with their consent, something that he truly believed to be wrong and would only consider as an absolute last resort.

Right now there were eight pups currently in his pack. Six of which were male, which was already a possible problem. Were packs, bore some similarity to normal wolf packs in the sense that the Alpha and his mate do the majority of the reproducing. Unlike normal wolf packs the Alpha is not the ONLY one who can reproduce, however conception among the other mated pairs is a lot more difficult and the litters are smaller. There were 22 other mated pairs within his pack, only four of which had managed to have pups of their own and each of those litters only had two pups.

Atem sighed as he dropped the dead buck atop the mountain beside his still sleeping mate. Atem nuzzled his mate, breathing in her scent, a scent that to him became that little bit more potent since their mating. Atem shook his head slightly before he licked the side of Yami's face. His mate needed to eat and then they needed to talk before heading back to their den.

Yami slowly blinked open her violet eyes scrunching them up slightly as they no doubt adjusted to the sudden onslaught of sunlight.

"Atem?" Yami inquired before she yawned, her body unconsciously stretching as she awoke. Atem gave her face one more lick before he stepped away.

"I brought you something to eat." Atem grunted, nodding his head towards the buck he'd been able to bring down. Given that he had brought it down by himself Atem was actually pretty proud of himself. It was one of the largest he'd managed to ever bring down alone. Certainly the largest he'd brought down alone without getting himself injured in the process. He knew from firsthand experience those antlers were not just for decoration. Yami might not be able to appreciate his accomplishment for what it was, but he knew that he had proven what he needed to and that would be good enough.

"I can see that. What's with the mountain top breakfast?" Yami asked as she sniffed the buck before she sank her teeth into the carcass.

Atem sighed as laid down, positioning himself so that not only did he have a clear view of his eating mate but he would also be able to see any possible approaching threats. That was also going to be another adjustment on his part, he would be even more protective of her now, which would no doubt worsen when he could confirm she was with pups. "How much do you know about mates, Yami?" Atem asked slowly. If he was going to explain it he might as well start with what she had managed to piece together for herself. She had spent a lot of time with three mated females who no doubt had at least mentioned mates to Yami.

Yami stopped eating for a moment to look at him. "To be perfectly honest, nothing. I mean, I would guess it's kind of like dating or getting married something like that. I figured I'd learn in time since I'm way too young to be thinking about that kind of thing." Yami replied.

Atem sighed once again. Well, that was just a wonderful mindset for his new mate to have. "Then I suppose I will have to explain to you what mates are and how mating's work." Atem said slowly. _A little bit late apparently, but there is nothing I can do about that right now. _

Yami snorted, "Like I said Atem, there is really no rush. I'm probably not going to worry about mating for at least a few years yet." Yami replied.

"The term mate, refers to a life partner for Weres. This life partner is of course, also a sexual partner. Weres only have a single mate and that mate will be for the rest of their lives. My own mother, for example succumbed mere hours after my father was killed." Atem explained. That was a good opening description of mates. Yami should at least now have some sort of an idea what was going on.

Yami looked back up from her meal, cocking her head to the side in apparent confusion, "That's…very interesting Atem. I'll have to keep that in mind. Do Weres not do dating like normal humans?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted, "Weres have their own form of courtship, although that courtship is a lot more primitive than anything humans currently practice. The attraction is chemical as well as sexual. Pairs that are meant to mate will subconsciously take part in that courtship. Courtship which will ultimately culminate in the mating being…acted upon sexually." Atem replied that was about as delicate as he could possibly phrase it. _Come on Yami, put the pieces together! _Atem thought.

Yami nodded before she took another large bite of deer meat, "Good to know. Don't begin a courtship with someone unless I'm certain that I want to end up marrying them. I'll keep that in mind." Yami replied.

Atem sigh before he stood up and approached his mate. _She cannot really be this dense, can she? _Atem thought to himself. "Do you really not recall anything from last night?" Atem asked.

"Umm, there was a full moon. We went running. Played tag. You tackled me by the riverbank. You climbed on top…." Yami began only to freeze as she locked gazes with Atem, her eyes shining with the question she was not confident enough to speak.

"I mounted you and we mated. Yes. You recall the event correctly." Atem replied.

"But I thought you just said there was a courtship. We haven't been courting." Yami argued.

Atem snorted, "You and I have been courting practically since you've arrived here. Every member of our pack knew I was going to take you as a mate, it was only going to be a question of when. You were the one who decided on last night." Atem replied.

"I decided? I decided! I was swept up in the feeling of the run. I didn't have the sense to make a decision that would impact the rest of my life." Yami growled.

"And yet the wolf within you had decided last night was the night. Whether you like it or not Yami you and I are mates." Atem growled.

"You should have told me no! You should have waited until I even knew what mates were before you let me make a decision like that Atem!" Yami growled right back.

"And you have to know that I was just as swept up in the thrill of the run as you were. And that instinctually for me when a female that has been _flirting _with me, to use your beloved human terminology, for the past five days basically dares me to mount her you can't honestly expect me to refuse. As I said the entire pack knew that I intended to make you my mate." Atem replied. No, Yami was not going to get away with blaming him for what happened or trying to imply that he had forced the issue when he had not. Nor would he have.

"And you didn't think someone should have sat me and explained things to me. Especially if I was supposedly _flirting _with you. Shouldn't someone told me that? Shouldn't YOU have told me that?" Yami snapped back.

"And the three days you were sitting with Mana, Kisara and Serenity? You never once thought to ask why Kisara kept laughing at you. Yes, Mana told me all about that. You never once thought to ask what was going on around you! To us mating is second nature. Why would we automatically assume that it was not the exact same way for you? With Duke's bite you inherited the exact same instincts as the rest of us. Gods above you've certainly been acting on them." Atem snapped. He was not to blame for the fact that Yami had not thought to ask a simple question.

"BECAUSE NOTHING IS NORMAL FOR ME ANYMORE!" Yami growled. "I eat differently. I sleep differently. I talk differently. I've turned into an animal. For God sake even going to the bathroom has been a fucking adjustment. How could you possibly expect me to be aware of your mating habits?"

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it. Because like it or not you and I are mates." Atem growled.

For a moment Yami just starred at Atem before she tried to edge around him and leave the mountain top. Atem blocked her path. "Let me go!" Yami growled.

"No. You and I are going to work this out. You are my mate. That is a fact. It may be another change you have to get used to but that fact remains. Trust me, this is an adjustment for me as well. But we will get through this together." Atem said, which was true. He may have understood what being mates meant but he this was a whole knew experience for him too. Difference was he was more than willing to accept it and go from here. She was his now. Just as he was hers.

Yami once against attempted to dodge around Atem, this time instead of merely stopping her Atem knocking his mate flat onto her back before settling on top of her. Atem felt the desire to reclaim his mate all over again but this time he forced the desire back. Mating right now would only do more harm than good. _She should be counting herself very lucky that I have such good self control. That and what appears to be a nearly infinite amount of patience with her. _

"Get off me!" Yami snarled.

"No, not until you calm down." Atem replied she needed to listen to him. If she wanted to stay up here all day and discuss what it meant to be mates he would. He'd answer every single one of her questions no matter how long it took. And no doubt she would come to find out that being mated to him wasn't the end of the world her overly dramatic human mind was trying to turn it into.

"And you honestly think you laying on me is going to calm me down. Newsflash for you, it won't." Yami growled.

Atem's eyes seemed to flash before he leaned and nipped Yami on the side of her neck. He didn't bite her particularly hard, just hard enough to prove a point. Atem could actually feel some of the tension drain out of Yami's body. He knew using the mating against Yami at this moment was not fair but she needed to calm down.

"Are you calm now?" Atem asked.

Yami merely snorted but did not reply. For this moment in time Atem figured this was as good as it was going to get. He licked the side of Yami's muzzle before finally climbing off.

"Finish eating then you and I can head back home." Atem said. Apparently Yami did not want to talk to him right now. Which was stupid but it was not up to him. They would talk in time but if he discovered she was in fact with pups then it wouldn't matter if she wanted to ignore the fact they were going to talk about it. Because she would HAVE to understand.

Yami shot Atem a hard look however she said nothing further and instead returned to her meal. Atem nodded once before he laid back down, resuming his place from before. _It might be wise to not inform my mate she is with pups until after I am certain of that myself. No reason to invoke another fight when it might not be truly necessary. _Atem decided. He'd know in the next three or four days and the entire pack would know if she was by the end of the week. _Not to say I wouldn't be howling about it as soon as I know. _Atem mused. There would be a subtle change in Yami's scent, a change that as her mate he would be the first to notice.

Once Yami had eaten her fill Atem grabbed a hold of the carcass and began to drag it back down the mountain. Yami was padding along behind him in silence, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

XXXXXX

Yami laid rather despondently just outside the wigwam. Atem had deposited the remainder of the buck in the middle of the clearing for everyone else to eat their fill before he and Kaiba had wandered either out of the clearing or at least out of Yami's line of sight. Which was more than fine with her, she really needed her space so she could try and think things through. _How dare he imply that I chose to mate with him. That I was flirting with him? I __**wasn't**__! I didn't want this. _

"Hey."

Yami's head snapped up to see that Mana had walked over to her before she sat down beside her. Yami just allowed her head to lay back down, doing her best to ignore Mana's presence. Mana should have pulled her aside and told her what was going on. Kisara or Serenity could have told her too. They all knew according to Atem. If Atem wasn't going to explain things to her than that job should have fallen to Mana, Kisara or Serenity. Kisara had laughed about the whole thing. They all should have known that she didn't understand and just told her what was going on. How could Yami be expected to ask a question if she didn't understand the situation enough to even know what to ask?

"Congratulations on your mating with my brother. You'll be good for each other. I'm sure of it." Mana said with a bright smile on her face.

Yami snorted before she was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea. "Mana? Can I ask you a question?" Yami asked.

Mana nodded, "Yeah, sure. Ask away." Mana replied.

"How do you change form? I've only changed form with Atem's help before. And…I want to surprise him by figuring it out without him having to guide me step by step. I was hoping you could tell me what the trick was." Yami said.

Mana looked mildly surprised by the question Yami had asked however, she hid her surprise pretty well. "Oh. I see, um well the trick to transforming, I guess is to relax. You need to focus on seeing your body change from one form to another. As for how to get the process started…that's hard to explain. I mean, I can shift without even thinking about it. But I haven't had to think about shifting since I was a pup." Mana said.

Yami sighed, "Oh. Okay, well…then I guess I won't be able to surprise Atem." Yami replied. To be perfectly honest shifting had nothing to do with Atem right now, she just didn't want to be trapped in this wolf form, especially knowing that Atem had no desire to be in a human form who's to say as his mate he'd **ever** let her or help her to transform.

Mana bit her lip before she spluttered, "Try and picture your wolf form and your human form as two separate entities. Right now your wolf form is in the front. To start shifting imagine pushing the wolf form out of the way. Alpha can drag one form or another out. No clue how he does that. I think it's a male thing because I know a few other males can do it. But it comes easiest to Alpha." Mana replied.

Yami nodded. "Great. Thank you Mana. You've been a huge help." Yami replied.

Yami dropped her head back onto her paws as she saw Atem and Kaiba pad back into the clearing from wherever they'd been. _Now all I have to do is shift back and then I can go back home. Visit grandpa and Mai. _Yami thought to herself. Her grandfather would be at least sympathetic to what she was going through. In fact, he would probably be more than sympathetic. He would be furious on her behalf. Yami would almost argue that Atem had raped her, however, much to her frustration even thinking that just felt wrong. It wasn't what she had wanted to happen, no. But at the same time she didn't feel like Atem had forced this on her. She remembered playing with him in the meadow. Atem chasing her. It had been fun. She also when she really thought back about it remembered calling Atem her mate after he caught her. She had literally dared him to claim her. And with that realization there really was nothing she could do or say that would prove that at least the wolf part of her wanted Atem.

Atem padded over before plopped down beside Yami on the ground, resting his head across the back of her neck. Yami said nothing, instead opting to just pretend that Atem didn't exist. And tonight she'd make her grand escape.

"You do know that we can talk. If you have any questions about anything I am more than happy to answer them." Atem said slowly.

Yami snorted. "Sure, I bet you are." Yami growled. Just because she had sort of conceded that she played a role in what had happened didn't mean that she wasn't still angry with Atem. Or was it that she was scared? She hadn't missed Atem's scathing comments about Ishizu living in the human world and about the idea that Mahad living with her being like Ishizu had clipped Mahad's balls. Would Atem _ever_ give her permission to return home now? He certainly could be spiteful and keep her hear and always say that she wasn't ready to return even if she was. He could keep her imprisoned here and that was not okay.

_But that doesn't matter because no matter what Atem says I am going home tonight. I will see my grandfather. Sleep in my own bed. And I will at least for tonight be myself once more. _Yami thought to herself. And she would do exactly that. And no one, not even her arrogant, controlling Alpha mate was going to stop her from going back to where she belonged.

Atem sighed, "Well, at least I'm making an attempt." Atem growled.

Yami snorted, "Yeah, your need to ensure my understanding came a day late and a dollar short. In other words this is too little too late Atem." Yami growled.

"And what would you have me do instead?" Atem asked and Yami could clearly hear that Atem was getting frustrated with her.

"Other than not have done it in the first place. I don't know Atem. But your smart, no doubt you can figure it out." Yami snapped.

"I will not apologize for what we both decided last night." Atem growled.

Yami snorted, "No, of course not because for the mighty Alpha to apologize he would have be first admit that he had made a mistake to begin with. And Alpha doesn't make mistakes." Yami growled.

Atem got to his feet, his crimson eyes flash as he growled at her, teeth bared, "Mating with you was NOT a mistake."

Yami snorted once more, "Don't you have Alpha stuff to go and do?" Yami said.

Atem paced up and down around her, snarling. Mana got up and quickly wandered off no doubt expecting some sort of a physical fight to take place and she didn't want to get caught in the middle. And logically speaking Yami knew that if it came down to a fight with Atem she could not win. He was bigger than her and a hell of a lot stronger than her. But she was angry. She was angry with him and worse than that she had felt betrayed. Because she had trusted him to look out for what was in her best interests and right now this feels like he had taken advantage of her while she had been at her most vulnerable.

"I am staying with my new mate. Once she gets her head out of her ass and stops being so damn stubborn I am hoping she will finally ask me the questions that she should so I can answer them." Atem growled.

Yami rolled her eyes, "I have no questions." Yami said which wasn't true. Thinking about it she had probably a million questions but she was not going to let Atem dictate what she was and was not going to do. He wanted her to ask a million questions and then accept that this had happened. She was not going to do that. She was not going to give him that satisfaction. She was right now going to be angry and petty and go back to ignoring that Atem was even here. That and ignoring this entire mating issue.

_Only a few more hours and then I'll be able to get away from here. Go back to where I belong and once I'm there hopefully I can finally start making sense of everything. _Yami thought to herself as she laid back down completely ignoring her growling mate beside her. Atem may be stubborn but he was going to come to learn Yami could be just as stubborn as he was.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 The Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami laid awake for over an hour after the pack had bedded down for the night, contemplating the best way to be able to make her move. One major problem she was having is that Atem had decided sleeping with his head draped across the back of her neck, not unlike how he had lounged earlier in the day, was his new preferred sleeping position. This positioning was certainly making slipping out of the clearing to head for home a lot more challenging that she had hoped for.

After another hour of waiting Yami just decided she was going to have to go for it. Atem was clearly not going to move and she was not going to just continue to stay here with Atem. She was going home and that was final.

And with that decision in mind Yami carefully rose to her feet, dislodging Atem's head from her body, which of course woke him up.

"What's wrong?" Atem asked with a yawn as he stretched slightly.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep." Yami grunted.

Her gruff response it appeared had the opposite effect, and instead seemed to wake Atem up even more instead of convince him to go back to sleep. He rose to his feet stretching once more before he bumped his head against her side. "What's wrong? You should be sleeping." Atem said.

Yami sighed as she wracked her brain trying to come up with a sufficient lie before an obvious one occurred to her. "I need to go to the bathroom. Don't worry, I'll be back shortly." Yami said.

"I can come with you." Atem immediately replied.

Yami internally groaned. Atem was certainly not making running away very easy. "I'd prefer you not. I know I've already been stripped of any sense of privacy since arriving but please. At least let me go to the bathroom in peace." Yami said gruffly. She didn't have to fake the anger in her tone when she addressed Atem.

Atem sighed before his tongue flicked out, licking the side of her cheek. "Fine. You can go in peace. Try to stay close to the clearing and if you aren't back in ten minutes I will come looking for you. I don't like the idea of you wandering around alone." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "I'm not wandering around alone. I'm going to the bathroom. There's a difference." Yami replied before she trotted out of the clearing. As soon as Yami had cleared the treeline she broke out in a dead run. She knew that she needed to focus on transforming back into her human form but Yami figured she would be better off doing that once she had gotten to the edge of the woods by her grandfather's house instead of transforming now to then make her way through the woods as a human. Not only was her night vision not as good as a human, she was a lot less coordinated when moving through the woods. Plus, she moved slower and if she was only going to have a ten minute head start then she really needed to make the most of it before Atem started to follow her.

Yami ran until she reached the steep hill that she remembered Kaiba and Akefia carrying her up when they'd brought her to the pack. This meant she was at least heading in approximately the right direction. It was sad how difficult it was to keep from barking in delight upon the realization before she began to bound down the hill. The hill was still very steep but as a wolf she was able to move down the hill at a relatively fast pace without losing her footing.

Once she had reached the bottom of the hill Yami was able to clearly hear the sound of the river up ahead. Another good sign that she was going in the right direction. She had no hesitation jumping into the river and swimming, albeit somewhat awkwardly, to the other side. _And with any luck my little swim will throw off Atem tracking me. _Yami thought to herself before she continued to run through the woods.

It still took Yami a considerable amount of time before she was able to exit the tree line and come to a stop in her grandfather's back yard. _I did it. I'm home. _Yami thought to herself before she walked right up to the side of the side of her house. Yami let out a small snort when she realized she had come to a complete stop at the exact spot this entire nightmare had begun. At the spot where Duke had attacked her.

Yami forced herself to push that though from her mind as she sat down. She needed to concentrate. Now, Mana had said she needed to picture her human self and her wolf self, with her wolf self in the front. In order to initiate the shift she would have to mentally push the wolf out of the way and the human form to the forefront. _I can do this. _Yami thought to herself as she closed her eyes and concentrated.

She was able to easily picture her human form and she did imagine shoving the wolf out of the way. Then she felt the pull that she had come to associate with a shift. Problem is this time she did not have Atem there to help her. And without the distraction she was only able to focus on the shift itself. Perhaps she wasn't fully relaxed? Perhaps the wolf was fighting getting pushed to the side. Perhaps she was trying to rush through this since she knew that Atem was no doubt hunting for her at this very moment and it was only going to be a matter of time before he found her.

No matter the reason, one fact remained. Shifting _Hurt_. She tried to force herself to think about something else, anything else but now that she had realized she was in pain that was literally all she could think about. Every part of her body ached and her bones throbbed as her body reconfigured itself in a matter of minutes. It almost felt like some of her bones were breaking as they rearranged themselves once more and she could not help but let out a small pained whimper.

A matter of agonizing minutes later and the shift was over, she was lying on the ground back in her human form once again. Sadly, she had not been filled with the sense of triumph that she had been hoping she would have. Instead she carefully rose to her feet before reaching for the door. Of course the door was locked so Yami crouched down and grabbed the spare key from the hiding spot under the door mat. Once she had the door unlocked she was able to slip inside, pushing the door closed behind her.

The house was eerily quiet. Yami frowned slightly as she slowly made her way into the living room. Her grandfather for the past several years had often slept in his recliner, since his back did not permit him to sleep in his bed anymore. There had been many nights that Yami had fallen asleep to the sounds of her grandfather's snores and the sound of the television which her grandfather left on as he fell asleep. Her frown deepened when she walked into the living room and her grandfather's chair was empty.

_Where is he? _Yami thought to herself as she slowly made her way up the stairs to her grandfather's bedroom. He may not have slept there in years but still, it was the next most logical place for her to check. She pushed open the door and just like with the living room, the room was empty. His bed was made and clearly had not been touched.

Yami felt like she could cry. She had managed to escape and now she was here but her grandfather was nowhere to be seen. He had promised that if she needed him that he would be here, but he wasn't. Yami forced herself to exit her grandfather's bedroom and returned to her own. Her own room looked exactly like she had left it, even her shopping bags from Vivian's were still sitting on the floor where she'd left them.

Yami slowly sat down on the foot of her bed as she finally allowed the tears that she had been holding back to fall. The sad thing is that she didn't even know why she was crying. She felt utterly and completely alone, trapped into essentially a marriage to a practical stranger and she wasn't even able to talk to her grandfather about what was happening.

Yami allowed herself to flop back onto her pillow as she forced herself to wipe her tears away. She was stronger than this. Her grandfather had raised her to be a strong woman. To be able to overcome and adapt to whatever life threw her way. Even this. She frowned slightly when she heard a slight crinkling sound as her head met the pillow. She turned her head to see that she had laid down on a piece of paper.

Yami carefully grabbed the piece of paper and flicked on the lamp beside her bed. It was a letter, from her grandfather.

_My dearest Yami,_

_If you are reading this note then you came home when I was not here. For that I sincerely apologize. As I sit writing this my suitcase is packed and resting at the foot of the stairs. I will admit that losing you has been one of the hardest things I've ever been through. Ever since your grandmother died eight years ago it has been me and you against the world. But now, now you're gone and I'm sitting alone in this empty house, with only my thoughts for company. I haven't opened the shop since the day of your attack. I just, I just couldn't. Because I knew that you wouldn't be coming back through that door to tell me how your day was. You wouldn't laugh at the boys who whistled as you as you headed down to Mai's wearing those shorts of yours that I have always thought were a tad too short. I never said anything to you about it because I knew you liked the shorts and I got to play the part of your protector and warn the boys that if they messed with you they were in for it. _

_I'm so sorry that I was not able to protect you from this. I wish there was more than I could have done to support you. I feel like I've ultimately failed you and again, for that I am truly sorry. Arthur came by yesterday. Apparently Mai's mother called him because, 'I've been way too melancholy and I need to buck up'. So, Arthur, in his brilliant wisdom has decided that what I need is to get away for a little while. He's booked us a trip to Egypt and said it was time for a couple of old history buffs to finally go and see the real thing. We're going to be on a cruise down the Nile River and we'll get to tour a lot of the sites that I've only gotten to see on television before. And I do recognize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. Sad thing is the only thing I can really think about right now is that you should have been coming with me on this trip. That and what if you came back while I was gone and I wasn't there for you. (Which clearly if you reading this letter is exactly what happened.)_

_Never forget how much I love you Yami. _

_-Grandpa_

Yami once again was forced to wipe tears from her eyes before she set the letter aside. She would be forever grateful to Arthur for stepping in to make sure her grandfather took care of himself and didn't waste away while she was living with the pack.

Yami heard a firm knock on the front door. A glance at the clock revealed that it was already after midnight. No one would just randomly be knocking on the door at this time of night, especially not with her grandfather out of town which means that Atem had managed to find her. _Well, that's just tough. I'm not ready for him to drag me back to the clearing. _Yami thought to herself before she rose to her feet. It had been a full week since she'd last been able to take a shower or even change her clothes. She was going to take advantage of the opportunity. But first, there was one other person she could reach out to. Mai had been her best friend since they had met in Elementary School. If she couldn't talk to her grandfather about this whole mess, she could certainly talk to her best friend.

Yami picked up her cellphone which was still sitting on her desk. It looked like in the last week Mai had texted her over 90 times before she had clearly just given up. She also had about twenty missed calls. Yami picked up her cellphone and dialed Mai's number, she knew it was late but Mai would answer her phone. She always did. As she waiting for Mai to answer Yami stripped off her shorts, underwear and tank top. She felt absolutely disgusting wearing the same clothes for a whole week, not to mention she had been out running through the woods.

And sure enough, Mai picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" Mai said slowly.

"Mai, it's me." Yami said.

"Well, of course it's you, hun. Who else would be calling me on your phone? But seriously Yami what the hell? You just up and disappeared without so much as a word. I've tried calling you, I've tried texting. Nothing. And your grandfather had practically locked himself away. He was almost acting like you'd died Yami. So, what the hell happened? All he said when I came by was that you weren't home and he didn't know when you'd be back." Mai snapped.

Yami sighed, "Mai, a lot has happened since I saw you last. It's too much to be able to explain over the phone. Could you please come over and we can talk face to face." Yami asked.

Mai sighed, "Fine. But this had better be a pretty damn good explanation. I'll be over in about half an hour." Mai replied.

Yami nodded, "Okay. Sounds good Mai. See you then." Yami replied before she disconnected the call. Half an hour should give her plenty of time to shower and figure out how to explain what was going on to her friend.

"You do know that speaking to your friend is a terrible idea. Just as you should know that coming here without my permission is against pack laws."

Yami jumped, whipping around to see that Atem had apparently scaled the tree on the side of her grandfather's house and was now coming in through her bedroom window. Yamiwas at first at a loss for words for what to say, and her hesitation allowed Atem to finish making his way through the window and into Yami's room. A window she had forgotten she'd opened more than a week ago to let in some cool air during the night. It was only then did Yami realize she was standing in the middle of her room completely naked. In front of Atem. _Shit. _Yami thought to herself.

Yami immediately turned and ran for the bathroom. Atem however, blocked her path and firmly grasped a hold of her arm, "You are **not **running away from me." Atem growled.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed Atem I am standing in the middle of my bedroom naked! I was going to hide in the bathroom and at least take a shower before my friend comes over. No matter what you think I am going to talk to her. I need to talk to someone who will at least listen to me and understand my perspective on things. Something you downright refuse to do." Yami growled.

"The last time I allowed you to go the bathroom unsupervised you violated my trust and took off. Do you think I'm stupid enough to make that same decision a second time?" Atem growled.

Yami winced as the grip Atem had on her arm tightened painfully. "Atem, you're hurting me."

Atem took another menacing step closer to Yami, he was now standing close enough that his chest was actually touching her bare body and Yami could feel his breath ghosting over her face. "Get dressed. We're leaving." Atem growled.

"No! I'm not. I refuse to leave without having the opportunity to talk to my friend. You can hide in the closet and listen to our conversation if you won't let me out of your sight. But I WILL be taking a shower and I WILL talk to Mai. And I don't care if you are the pack Alpha you will NOT stop me." Yami growled right back.

For a moment Atem was silent while Yami continued to glare at him defiantly. She would not let Atem order her around. She was a person with her own free will and becoming a werewolf did not strip her of that free will. "Fine. I will give you two choices Yami. You can get dressed right now and I will hide in the closet, as you have requested and you can speak to your friend. Or if you are still insistent on taking a shower then I will be joining you for that shower. The choice is yours, but as you have recognized I am not letting you out of my line of sight." Atem growled.

For a moment Yami was silent, neither option Atem had presented her with sounded appealing. She was disgusting and putting on clean clothes would completely defeat the purpose. But…showering with Atem? That, that was almost as bad as not taking a shower at all. "Fine. You can shower with me. There, happy." Yami snapped.

Atem nodded before he finally released his grip on Yami's arm allowing her to turn and push open the bathroom door. Atem pulled the door closed behind them before he stripped off his pants leaving himself nude. Yami forced herself to look away, busying herself with adjusting the water temperature. Anything to allow her to ignore the fact that she was alone with a naked man. The fact that she had apparently already had sex with that man was irrelevant.

Once Yami was satisfied that the water was at the correct temperature she stepped into the tub, again doing her best to ignore that Atem had stepped in with her. Never before in her entire life had Yami realized how small her shower was. Atem yanked the shower curtain closed as Yami flicked on the shower itself before she straightened up. She felt Atem's hands settle on her hips. A part of Yami wanted to turn around and begin wet her hair however at the same time she did not want to be standing front to front with Atem. Because of the small shower he was already close enough that Yami could still feel the heat from his body against her own.

Maybe she should have just gotten dressed after all. For a moment the two just stood there as the shower rained down on them before Atem shoved Yami forward slightly, allowing the water to cascade down her body. It felt so good, however it also felt good when Atem turned her around and pulled her body flush against his own as they both stood under the spray.

Atem grabbed the bar of soap from the soap tray and lathered it up on his hands before he began to roughly run his hands along Yami's body. Along her back, her chest, touching her breasts before he moved onto her thighs. The entire time Atem was washing her she was completely frozen, just allowing him to complete his task. He was so business like, yet the whole thing was still almost intimate in a way that Yami could not really explain. Once Atem had finished scrubbing her body he shoved her back under the shower spray, his hands running along her body to help rinse the soap off. Again, Yami seemed to be almost frozen allowing him to work.

Once Atem was satisfied that her body was clean he again turned her around so her back was to Atem once more. She her the pop of a lid followed by a squirting sound as Atem squeezed shampoo into his palm. Yami could not help but groan at the unexpectedly pleasurable feeling of Atem's hands massaging her scalp, and Yami could not help but lean almost bonlessly back against him as he continued to wash her hair. She could feel his penis pressing against her thigh as he worked but in this one moment that did not bother her. _Where the hell did a beast like Atem learn how to do this? God this feels amazing. _Yami mentally groaned.

Again, Atem made relatively quick work of scrubbing Yami's scalp before he turned her around once more shoving her under the showers spray, his hands running through her hair to aide in rinsing out the soap.

Once Atem was satisfied that Yami was clean his hands once again rested on Yami's hips, the two separated by only a matter of inches. Atem leaned forward so that his forehead was resting against Yami's own. "You should count yourself lucky that your mate has such excellent self-control my dear. Otherwise you would have found yourself pinned against the wall while I mated you once again. I may not be as familiar with our weaker form's mechanics but I'm quite confident I could figure it out." Atem practically purred in her ear.

Yami gulped as Atem spoke, his words sending a thrill through her that she could not even begin to explain. No matter how confused she was about everything one thing was beyond clear. Atem had an effect on her that no one else ever had.

"Y-you don't mean that." Yami stuttered as she continued to stare into Atem's blood red eyes.

Atem smirked. "Unless you would like to test that theory I would suggest you turn off the water and get dressed my mate, before my control slips. You have no idea what a tempting sight you are right now." Atem replied.

Yami gulped once more before she reached behind her, awkwardly fumbling to switch off the shower. Once the water had been switched off Atem once again tugged Yami's body flush against his own. He tilted Yami's chin up before he leaned down and roughly pressed his lips against Yami's. Yami groaned at the unexpected kiss before she felt Atem press her body firmly against the wet tiled wall. The unexpected kiss was quick but deep as Atem dominated the kiss, his tongue sweeping through Yami's mouth as if it belonged to him. _No doubt Atem thinks it does. _

Yami whimpered slightly at the loss as Atem finally pulled away and stepped out of the shower. "Get dressed. Your friend should be here momentarily. Then you and I are returning to the clearing." Atem gruffly ordered.

Yami slowly exited the shower just in time to see Atem tugging his pants back on, acting as if nothing had even happened. It was strange, but then again, it was Atem. What wasn't strange about this whole thing? Yami quickly toweled off before she headed out into her bedroom and got dressed, this time in a pair of comfortable jean shorts and a t-shirt. Before Atem dragged her back to the clearing though, she was going to pack herself a bag. She was not going to be wearing the same set of clothes for weeks at a time.

Once Yami was dressed Atem wrapped his arms around Yami's body once again pulling her against him. "Be quick with your friend, lest I end up deciding to pin you to your bed here instead of waiting until we are back in the clearing." Atem whispered.

Yami frowned, "You will not be pinning me anywhere. Neither here nor in the clearing. Now get in the closet. Mai should be here any second." Yami replied.

Atem once again tilted Yami's face up before he drew into another deep kiss, this one lasting longer than the first. Yami's hands unconsciously drifted up to wrap around Atem's bare shoulders as she pressed her lips, somewhat shyly, back against his own. In a daring move that surprised herself she lightly touched her tongue against Atem's own, eliciting almost a primal growl from deep within Atem's throat.

Atem's arms wrapped more firmly around the small of her back pulling her body even more firmly against his own body. Once again she was reminded of Atem's still existent problem from the shower earlier as she could feel his penis pressing against her body.

The kiss abruptly ended when the two heard the door downstairs close, signaling the arrival of Yami's friend. Atem backed away, his eyes darkened with lust as he stepped into the closet pulling the door closed as he did. "We will continue after your conversation my mate. That is a promise." Atem growled.

Yami gulped once more, her body heating with the promise from Atem, before she turned to her bedroom door just as Mai came up the stairs and into Yami's room. Yami immediately embraced her best friend. "Mai, it's so good to see you." Yami said as she hugged her friend tightly.

Mai's embrace was just as strong as Yami's own. "It's good to see you too hun. But seriously, I need some answers. Where did you disappear to without so much as a trace?" Mai asked once she had finally released Yami from her embrace.

Yami sighed, "Do you remember that creep from the food court?" Yami asked.

Mai nodded, frowning. "Yeah. I remember him. Has he given you anymore trouble?" Mai asked.

Yami sighed once more, "Mai, I think you should sit down for this." Yami said.

Mai crossed her arms over her chest, "No, I don't think I will. Tell me what's going on hun. Where did you disappear to?" Mai asked.

"That night you know I was helping my grandfather to clean up the shop. When I took the trash out I got attacked by a wolf. I got bit in the shoulder before I was able to get away. When my grandpa took me to the hospital I found out that the wolf that attacked me was the same creep that was harassing us at the mall. He was a werewolf and when he bit me, he turned me into a werewolf too." Yami said.

Mai frowned, "What the hell Yami?" Mai snapped.

"Huh?" Yami asked, frowning as well.

"I rushed over here at almost one in the morning to find out what had happened to you and you feed me to line of garbage. If you had no intention of telling me what had happened then you shouldn't have even bothered to call me." Mai yelled.

Yami felt something snap inside her as her temper flared, "How dare you Mai! I did tell you what happened to me. I was attacked by a fucking werewolf and forced to leave my family. MY home and to live with the pack in the fucking woods Mai. AND on top of all of that mess, I apparently ended up having sex with another wolf and therefore ended up married to him." Yami shouted.

Mai frowned for a moment before she strode forward. Yami held her ground before Mai drew her hand back and smacked Yami across the face. Yami's head snapped to the side. Yami's hands clenched tightly before she felt an overwhelming urge to just hurt Mai.

Yami lunged forward however Atem came sprinting out of the closet and grabbed a tight hold on Yami keeping her from attacking her friend.

"Go. Leave." Atem commanded as he restrained Yami who was still struggling against his grip to attack her friend. From this close he could clearly see the beginnings of tears gathered in his mate's eyes as she tried to lash out.

"Who the hell are you? And what the hell were you doing in Yami's closet?" Mai growled.

Atem snorted, "I happen to be Yami's mate. When she slipped off pack grounds to come back here I followed her. We made an agreement that she would be allowed to speak to you before I brought her back where she belongs." Atem replied.

Mai snorted before she turned on her heels heading to the door, "So, not enough that you turned into a monster. You're a slut on top of it. Way to go Yami." Mai shouted before she stormed out of Yami's room and down the stairs before she slammed the door shut behind her.

Once Mai was gone Yami's struggles finally ceased as she collapsed to her knees in Atem's arms, sobbing. She had been counting on having Mai's support to help her through this whole mess. The realization that she didn't was a deep blow.

"Shhh. You're alright. I've got you." Atem soothed, his hands lightly rubbing her back as her sobs slowly began to wind down. However, there was one thought that she could not seem to shake. What if Mai was right? Not only about her being a monster, but a slut as well?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 The birth of Alpha's Whore

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

It felt like Yami had sobbed for hours in Atem's arms sitting on the floor in her bedroom. Atem just sat there holding her close and rubbing her back. Finally, Yami's sobs subsides and the two just sat there on the floor. Atem finally let go of Yami and began to climb to his feet, "Come on. Let's get back to the clearing. You shouldn't be here." Atem said.

Yami sighed before she rose to her feet and headed for her closet where she grabbed a duffle bag which she began to start stuffing with clothes. "What are you doing?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed, "You may be fine walking around wearing only one pair of pants for weeks if not months at a time. I, on the other hand, am not. I wore that one outfit for a whole week and I felt disgusting. So, I'm grabbing some of my clothes." Yami explained.

Atem rested his hand lightly on Yami's shoulder as she shoved another shirt, this time a hoodie, into her bag. "Are you alright, my mate?" Atem asked.

Yami frowned before she threw her bag on the floor and whipped around to lock gazes with Atem. "No, I am NOT alright. I just lost my best friend in the whole world and she confirmed for me something I'd been thinking ever since you decided to deliver your wonderful news. I am a fucking WHORE and I hate it. I hate it I hate it. I HATE IT!" Yami shouted, she paused briefly before continuing, "Maybe it's a good thing my grandfather wasn't here. At least I didn't have to see the look of disgust on his face when I told him all about me mating with you."

Atem said nothing and instead roughly wrapped his arms around her body pulling it flush against his own as he pinned her against the back wall of her closet and aggressively kissed her. Yami with almost no hesitation pressed her lips back against his own, groaning at the pleasurable feeling of her body almost completely at Atem's mercy.

Atem broke the kiss briefly before he abruptly picked Yami up and carried her over to her bed, tossing her on the bed before he climbed atop her, pinning her body beneath his own. His eyes darkened with lust, reflecting the lust also seen in Yami's violet eyes. "You, are not a whore, my mate. What you are is MINE. And mine alone. No other male will ever touch your or look upon you the way I do. You became mine when you consented to me mounting you. The way you lean into my touch, breathe my scent. The wolf within you recognizes you belong to me, just as I belong to you. Only you can touch me or mate with me as you do. Never before have I ever looked upon a female or touched a female as I do you. Those are all signs that show that you are MINE! You are mine and I am yours." Atem growled as his hands slipped up under Yami's shirt before he roughly grabbed the shirt, pulling it over Yami's head and tossing it aside.

Atem leaned down and bit the side of Yami's neck, firmly enough that Yami knew it was going to leave a mark, yet not hard enough for the bite to actually be painful and Yami could not help but groan at the contact. Atem's hands slipped up under her back, lifting Yami's body off the bed briefly before he literally ripped her bra open and threw it aside, Atem then kissed, nipped and bit his way down Yami's torso, playing special attention to each of Yami's breasts.

Yami felt herself being overcome with an indescribable heat as she continued to moan and groan beneath Atem's powerful form. Instead of feeling afraid, Yami almost felt excited by the aggressive display, and her arms were locked around Atem's shoulders, one hand buried in his hair, with the other almost digging into his back. Atem's hand's then dipped below her shorts which his fingers made quick work of undoing before he pushed them and Yami's underwear down until Yami was able to kick them both off leaving her completely nude before Atem.

Atem nipped his way down to Yami's thighs before he slowly made his way back up to Yami's face. Atem's kiss was rough, and could actually be described as downright aggressive as was his almost bruising grip on her body. She was completely at Atem's mercy. What she didn't understand was why that realization thrilled her instead of terrified her.

Atem stopped for a brief moment before he climbed off the bed. Yami whimpered at the loss however, her eyes locked on Atem as she watched him undo and quickly remove his own pants. Her eyes drifting over the fully erect massive penis briefly before drifting back up to Atem's lustful eyes. Atem climbed back onto the bed, once again pinning Yami beneath his own body. Yami allowed him to settle between her thighs without the slightest bit of resistance.

Atem gazed right into Yami's eyes before he roughly pushed his way inside Yami's body. Yami let out almost a primal shout of pained pleasure as she felt herself be almost painfully stretched as Atem broke through her virginal barrier.

"I thought you said we'd done this before." Yami grunted as Atem was fully seated within her.

"I mated with your wolf. This is the first we've used your weaker form. Although, given how much you seem to be enjoying it, it will more than likely not be our last." Atem grunted before he pulled out and roughly slammed back in literally making Yami see stars. Atem set an almost relentless pace as he continued to dominate Yami.

Yami clung as tightly as she could to Atem's body, her nails digging into his back with enough force that Yami would not have been surprised if she had drawn blood. Yami looped one of her legs around Atem's waist allowed him to thrust even deeper within her.

Atem continued his domination of Yami's body as Yami moaned, groaned and screamed with every powerful thrust. "To whom do you belong, mate?" Atem growled in Yami's ear.

"You. I belong to You!" Yami shouted back. In response Atem seemed to pick up the pace, thrusting into her with so much force a part of Yami was vaguely surprised Atem had not fractured her hips. The heat which had been building within Yami soon became unbearable and she shouted her release as Atem gave yet another powerful thrust.

"ATEM!"

Atem grunted as his pace became even more powerful and erratic before Yami, and Yami felt the heat continue to build within her once again. All too soon Yami felt Atem release deep within her, however instead of crying out as she had done Atem sank his teeth into the flesh of her left breast. Yami and with that bite Yami orgasmed for the second time that night as Atem finally collapsed a top her.

"Have I proved my point Mate?" Atem asked as he continued to just lay atop her, Yami couldn't help but notice he was still buried within her every time she so much as twitched she could feel him.

"You've proven that you and I have a sexual attraction to one another." Yami said once she seemed to get some semblance of her bearings back. She could not believe she had just had sex with Atem in her bedroom mere minutes after Mai had accused her of being a slut.

"We have much more than that. Any pair of weak minded humans can have a sexual attraction. What we share is something much deeper. You and I literally cannot live without each other now. Do you not understand how powerful that is? How sacred a bond?" Atem whispered.

"But it's still just sex." Yami replied.

Atem merely snorted before he rested his forehead against Yami's own. "It's much more than just sex. But I'll let you figure that out in time. Some things, it seems, I cannot just explain. Some things you will have to discover for yourself. What it means to be my mate, seems to be one of those things that you will come to understand with time."

Yami sighed as she reluctantly let of Atem. "I guess this is the part where you get off of me and drag me back to the clearing." Yami replied.

Atem snorted, "No, it's not. I will be joined with you like this for at least an hour, if not longer, which means that we will not be heading back to the clearing until after the sun has risen." Atem replied.

"At least an hour? Why?" Yami asked, frowning.

Atem sighed, "Instinct I guess. I am driven to do this, perhaps because is what I need to do in order to have you conceive pups. Perhaps there is another reason, but regardless the instinctual need is there." Atem said.

"Conceive? Pups? No, I can't…I'm too young to…"Yami began as panic gripped her. Atem silence her by pulling her in for another deep kiss, although comparatively this kiss was almost gentle as their tongues leisurely twirled together.

Atem then broke the kiss, deciding that now would probably be the time to tell her about the possible pups. "Shh, my mate. More likely than not you are already carrying my pups and have been since our mating beneath the moon. I will know for certain in a few days' time, your scent will change slightly if you are carrying. I will know in a matter of days, whereas the entire pack will be able to smell it on you by the end of the week. " Atem soothed.

Yami opened mouth, no doubt to express more panic however Atem lightly nipped her on the side of the neck, and just like a top the mountain the panic seemed to literally drain out of Yami at the bite.

"Just go to sleep my precious mate. We will worry about having pups once we know for a fact that you are carrying them. Now, get some sleep. I know tonight has been a trying night for you, but I am here for you. And I'm not going anywhere." Atem vowed, rolling his hips the slightest bit with the vow, making Yami groan at the reminder of exactly where Atem was.

For some reason Atem's bizarre vow did manage to reassure Yami. Yes, there was a possibility she was pregnant and might be having pups, but right now was not the time to panic about it. She could panic about it once she knew for sure that was the case.

And with that thought in mind Yami allowed herself to drift off to sleep beneath her powerful mate.

XXXXXX

Yami awoke several hour later to the realization that she was moving. She blinked her eyes open to see that she was being carried through the woods back towards the clearing, and now that she was awake she could actually hear the rive up ahead.

"How long was I asleep for?" Yami asked. She glanced down to see that she was actually dressed once again in her t-shirt and shorts that she had put back on after her shower yesterday and it looked like Atem had tossed her duffel bag over his shoulder. Although, he apparently hadn't bothered with putting back on her bra or with underwear. There was something very…weird about not wearing any under garments. Then again, she was now a savage beast what should she care about underwear? Underwear were for civilized beings, not beasts like her and Atem.

"A few hours. However I did not want to linger for too much longer at your Grandfather's house so I redressed you before heading back to the woods. Apparently, not a moment too soon because we had barely entered the tree line when I saw your friend from last night walking up the driveway." Atem replied.

Yami frowned, "Why didn't you wake me up. Maybe Mai and I could have talked and sorted everything out." Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "Because my mate, to be perfectly honest you are not yet fit to be interacting with humans. I told you that Weres without permission from the Alpha are not allowed to set foot in a human settlement. There is a reason for this. Last night when she dared to insult you, you lost your temper. The danger in this is because you cannot control the wolf within you which meant your instinct was to have a physical confrontation with your friend. Had I not intervened last night you could have inadvertently hurt your friend, or worse still, bitten her." Atem replied.

Yami frowned, "Bitten her? But I was in my human form. Biting her should be harmless. Barbaric sure, but harmless." Yami replied.

Atem snorted, "No, biting a human in our human forms is not harmless. Although there is not the same guarantee of the victim contracting lycanthropy through the bite there is still a substantial chance. Sixty percent instead of the guarantee from a bite in our true form." Atem replied.

Yami sighed, "I'm not going to apologize." Yami muttered defiantly before she glared up at the Were carrying her. "So, how badly are you going to beat me for daring to defy you?" Yami practically growled. She had broken the law, something Atem had made quite clear. And since Weres were nothing but a bunch of savage beasts no doubt the punishment for daring to try and reach out to people who actually cared about her. Who actually loved her was going to be brutal. Would he have her whipped? Would he club her like he had Joey? Or because she was his mate would he publicly force his dominance upon her in front of everyone? Show the entire pack that she was his little whore.

Atem was silent for a moment as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts before he came to a stop at the river's edge. Instead of crossing the river immediately like Yami thought he would have Atem instead began to walk along the river, heading further East. He had walked a couple hundred feet before he came to a stop beside the river where there were four boulders sticking out of the water. Atem tightened his grip on Yami slightly before he ran, leaping into the air before landing gracefully on the first slick boulder.

Atem stood on the first boulder for a second before he leapt once more. He didn't even pause and took two more running steps before he leapt once again to the third boulder.

"Are you absolutely insane?" Yami called out, her arms latched tightly around his neck as he began another running start before leaping onto the fourth and final boulder, then one last quick small leap had him on the bank on the other side.

"Hardly. I merely didn't want you getting wet in your human form. So, I took the boulders instead." Atem replied with an indifferent shrug.

Yami scowled as she released her hold around Atem's neck. "Don't think I didn't notice you hadn't answered my question. So, how bad is my punishment going to be?" Yami growled, it was almost like she was daring Atem to do his worst. She could take it. Or at least, she felt like saying she could no matter how untrue that might actually be right now.

Atem was still silent as he began to slowly make his trek up the steep hill. Even as strong as Atem was, apparently in human form this hill was an absolute nightmare to try and navigate. "I would think, given what transpired, that you have already been punished enough. Although, I will warn you I will not be nearly so forgiving should you choose to disobey me a second time."

Yami rolled her eyes, "Yeah. I got it." Yami muttered as Atem finally crested the hill Yami tried to wriggle out of his arms. "Can you let me down now?" Yami asked, for some reason she felt very subconscious about being carried into the clearing in Atem's arms. Perhaps it was too many romance novels she's read with Mai where when the newly married couple returned home the man would 'carry the woman across the threshold bridal style' not unlike how Atem was carrying her now.

"No, I don't think I will. I'll put you down back in our den." Atem replied.

Yami squirmed even more, "Please Atem. I want you to put me down. What if the others see you carrying me?" Yami asked before adding, "And what do you mean our den? I thought Kaiba said I would be able to set up my own den once I got settled."

Atem rolled his eyes, "First of all Beta Kaiba made that statement before you became my mate. By becoming my mate you and I will share my den, thus it is officially our den. Secondly, what does it matter if the others see me carrying you? Everyone already knows that you and I are mates. And before you ask, yes they will all be able to tell what you and I did earlier this morning. They'll be able to smell it on us. No reason to be shy, it's perfectly natural behavior for mates." Atem said briskly.

Yami buried her face in Atem's shoulder as they finally left the tree line and entered the clearing. She did not want to see anyone. She did not want to speak to anyone. She just wanted to curl up under the pelts in ATEM's den, not their den ATEM's den and hide away from the world until this entire nightmare finally came to a close.

"Alpha, welcome back. I must admit I was mildly surprised to see you gone from the clearing when I woke up this morning."

Atem snorted, "That's fine Beta. Last night my mate and I actually ventured back to her grandfather's house. My mate desired a shower and get a few changes of clothes. We of course showered together before we lost ourselves to our desire to mate. I think my mate might prefer using our human forms, something which is good for me to know. Now, my mate is still quite tired. Let me get her put back to bed then you and I can discuss anything that happened while I was away." Atem replied.

Yami felt her face flame with utter and complete shame as Atem just casually told Kaiba that they'd had sex. It didn't matter to her that Kaiba would have been able to smell it on them he still should have had enough respect for her to not brag about it. Or at least Atem would have if he hadn't been a beast. If he'd been a decent human being.

"Very well Alpha. I'll let you put your mate to bed." Kaiba replied.

And with that Atem walked away, Yami keeping her face firmly buried in the crook of Atem's neck. She refused to acknowledge that the smell of Atem's scent was helping her to calm down because at this moment she did not want to calm down. Nor did she need to calm down, she had every right to be angry at Atem.

Atem set her down on the pile of pelts and Yami immediately dove under them, doing her best to completely hide herself from sight. "I'll be back shortly. I need to discuss pack business with Kaiba. Try not to wander too far whilst I'm gone." Atem said.

Yami said nothing. She was not going to talk to him. Atem apparently was just fine with her silence because he turned and left the den without so much as another word.

Was it so bad that she just wanted to hide away in her shame? That she did not want to see the knowing smirks on Kisara, Mana or Serenity's faces? The thumbs up Atem was receiving from the other males. She was beyond disgusted with herself and who could really blame her? Her whole grand escape had been nothing but one big failure. Not only had she been caught, but she had also lost her best friend. And why did she lose her best friend? Because she was a slut, but not just a slut a monster.

Mai may have said it, but it wasn't like Yami hadn't already been thinking it. One mildly attractive man shows up in her life and Yami, the little slut that she is, spreads her legs nice and wide first chance she has. No dating. No getting to know each other. No romance. Nothing. Just sex. Just meaningless sex; a couple of animals rutting about in the fucking dirt.

One frustrating part of this whole thing was that Yami couldn't even figure out what it was about Atem that had her so attracted to him? Back at school it would have been easy to argue that Valon might have been better looking than Atem, but when she pictured Valon she didn't have the normal reaction she'd had before. She thought about the members of the boyband her and Mai used to obsess over: Mark of the Dragon. Yusei Fudo was one _fine _piece of man. But yet right now, picturing him there was no reaction. None at all.

Yami sighed, did the why even really matter? Atem had used her the way the animal inside her clearly wanted him to and apparently he had probably knocked her up. Had her life really turned into this and she was going to become a mother at 16? She was a beast. A savage beast not to mention a fucking whore on top of it. Did her parents have some sort of premonition about how she was going to turn out? Is that why they were so quick to dump her on her grandfather and run away before she could taint them by association?

Yami sighed as he peeked out from under the pile of pelts to see Atem's winter pants still sitting in the corner from where she'd tossed them after the last time sewing with the other women. With a dejected sigh Yami climbed out from under the pile of pelts and over to the pair of worn pants which by some miracle were able to last through an entire winter. No wonder they were in such terrible shape.

Grasping the fabric as well as the crude needle and thread Yami slowly set to work trying to reinforce another of Atem's seams. _Not like I'm good for anything else? I fix Atem's fucking cloths and when he decides he wants to I'll lay there like a good little slut and let him do whatever the hell he wants. _Her grandfather had tried to raise Yami to be a strong, proud, intelligent young woman that he used to say could conqueror the world one day if she wanted. There was nothing she could not do if she'd set her mind to it. But, either he had failed or Yami was just coming to realize that she just didn't live up the ideal that her grandfather had envisioned his granddaughter would become. She hadn't been strong enough to blow Duke off at the mall; Mai had needed to step in to help get him to back off, only for him to come back for round two later. Why? Because Duke knew she weak. Duke knew she was an easy target.

She also was discovering she wasn't strong enough to adapt to her new life and most importantly she did not the strength to tell Atem to back the fuck off and leave her alone. Yami jabbed the needle roughly into the fabric, sticking her finger in the process. "Shit." Yami muttered before she shoved the wounded finger into her mouth, sucking on it. Perhaps her strength came in the form of her defiance? Perhaps her strength came from refusing to bow to Atem and his stupid rules and his customs and his idea that she was now a wolf, not a person.

Yami removed her finger from her mouth before she returned her attention to sewing. The question was how was she going to take her power back and regain control over her own life? Right now it seemed like Atem had all the cards and she was just lurching blindly from one mess into the next. She couldn't continue on like this, just like crying or whining about how unfair everything was wasn't going to solve things either. She needed to take control of her life and stop letting others make decisions for her.

_Doesn't being __**mated **__to Atem make me an Alpha as well? _If that was the case then it should mean more than just being his submissive little mate. Which meant she needed to find a way to be able to stand beside him. She harshly pulled on the thread before it snapped, making Yami frown at the offending garment before she set it aside. Time to plan. First, she was going get the hang of shifting so that it was painless, no matter how much she hated the thought of turning into a wolf again, she was going to need to. Next most important thing was convincing Atem to teach her what she needed to know in order to stand by his side.

Yami sighed once more before she crawled back under the pile of pelts. As for the whole mating mess, unfortunately if Atem decided he wanted to use her again, she was just going to let him. No point in really fighting him on that regard. Not that she could stop him even if she tried. There was still something freeing about her making the decision to allow Atem to do that. She knew he was going to anyway but this gave her a sense of control over a situation where there was no control. Yami frowned as the scent of pine and cinnamon wafted to her nose just before she noticed Atem striding into the den.

"Is there a reason you came in here? Or are you just in here to annoy me?" Yami growled from beneath the pile of pelts before adding, "Because if it's the later than you can get the fuck out."

Atem snorted before he crouched down, lifting a few of the pelts up so that he was able to reveal Yami's face. Yami scowled at him, bearing her teeth slightly. She did NOT need a babysitter. "Glad to see that you're getting your bite back. I'd hate for you to have gone back to moping about." Atem replied.

Yami flew out of the pile of pelts, tackling Atem to the dirt. "I am NOT moping about. And I do NOT need you babysitting me as if I were a child. I am not a child and you will **not **treat me like I am." Yami snarled.

Atem merely rose a brow before he easily reversed their positions, pinning Yami's body back beneath his own. "I know you are not a child my mate. And I'm not treating you as if you were. I merely wanted to see how you were doing after what happened earlier this morning." Atem replied.

"You've checked. And you can see that I'm fine. Now get out." Yami snapped.

Atem snorted before he nuzzled his nose briefly against the crook of Yami's neck before he straightened up and headed back out into the clearing without so much as another word. Yami glared after her departing mate before she crawled back over to the pair of pants and picked back up her needle and thread. She had nothing better to do, might as well finish fixing this damn seam.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 No shoes, no shirt...that's a problem

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Atem sighed as he awoke the following morning just before the sun rose. He had hardly slept the night before because to be honest he had been worried Yami was going to try and make another run for it. Thankfully she hadn't.

Atem sat up, carefully withdrawing his arms from around Yami's sleeping body, and stretched. Everything with her was a mess right now and to be perfectly honest Atem had no clue how to go about fixing that.

Atem carefully got to his feet before shifting and padding out into the clearing. Instead of leaving immediately he headed over to his Beta's den, a slightly smaller wigwam not too far away from his own. Seto and Kisara's den differed from Atem's in the sense that their den was a bit more _human _than Atems. They had a wardrobe and dresser both filled with human clothes as well as a desk where Seto kept devices like cell phones and other pieces of technology that if he needed them he would have. Atem had actually been very relieved that Seto had gone through a phase of human curiosity when he was younger and therefore was more than happy to keep himself up to date. It meant Atem never had to deal with any of it and he could push any required human encounters onto Seto. Atem trotted inside and right over to the sleeping pair of wolves before he lightly nudged Kaiba in the side. "Seto, wake up." Atem barked.

Seto's eyes snapped open before he quickly got up, "Alpha? What seems to be the problem?" Seto asked with a yawn.

Atem sighed. "I need you to guard my mate. I'm heading up to the mountain now. I need to think about a few things and I don't want to take any chances with her safety." Atem said.

Seto frowned, "I can do that, but Alpha, why don't you take your mate with you up to the mountain?" Seto asked.

"Because she's still sleeping right now Seto and I would prefer to just let her rest." Atem said.

Seto nodded, "Very well. I will keep an eye on her while you are gone. Do you know when you will return?" Seto asked.

Atem shook his head, "No. I need to do some serious thinking and hopefully I will find the clarity that I seek atop the mountain." Atem said.

Seto nodded once more before he followed Atem out of his den. Seto turned and took up a sentry position in front of Atem's own den before Atem turned and trotted out of the clearing heading for his favorite mountain.

Once Atem had reached the peak he tried to think. His mate, argh, she certainly seemed to know every single button to push to infuriate him. And the worse thing was that he had no idea how to go about addressing the matter. If it had been anyone else **but **her he'd know exactly what he needed to do.

_Come on Atem, think! You can figure this out. _Atem mentally chided himself. What was it that Yami kept yapping about so much? That I don't understand her. Atem snorted. That isn't the problem...the problem is that she doesn't understand herself anymore.

Atem frowned. Of course this is a problem that none of the other Weres ever had to even worry about. Everyone else already understands who they are as Weres. They grow up knowing the wolf within them and the human side is something that many can just ignore or for those who wish to explore it do so before returning back to where they belong.

Atem's frown deepened. But isn't that the crux of the whole problem? That his mate for the vast majority of her life hasn't been a Were? But rather been an overly emotion, overly dramatic, weak human?

Atem sighed. How in the world was he supposed to wrap his head around that? He didn't know the first thing about being human. He had never needed to and certainly never wanted to. Just as he'd never even had a desire to venture into a human settlement. Chasing after his mate the other night was the closet he really got to venturing into a human settlement. His home was in the woods and that was exactly where he belonged. This was something that was not going to change and Atem had no interest in changing that part of himself.

But at the same time, as Yami's mate shouldn't he at least try and understand her perspective? They were going to be bound together for the rest of their lives. God forbid if something were to happen to her he would literally die without her. Just as she would die if something were to happen to him. They were meant to be partners in everything.

Atem began to pace along the peak of the mountain, in the distance he was able to make out the beginning of the sun rising. How in the world was he supposed to figure out life as a human? What in the world would that even accomplish? His mate was still going to despise him because they had both acted on something the wolves within them wanted. _And is it such a terrible thing that I am happy about it? Is it so terrible that am happy I'm not alone anymore? _Atem thought darkly.

_Couldn't I just ask her about her human life? _Atem mused before he dismissed the thought with a snort. The more pressing question would she even bother to answer him if he had asked . No, more than likely she would just ignore him. Not that he would be able to even comprehend what she said if she did choose to answer his questions.

So, if asking her about it was out. Then what choice was he really going to be left with?

Atem glanced up towards the clouds, "Father, its times like this I really wish you were still here to guide me. I feel like you would be able to help me to connect with my mate like I need to. Like I want to. She doesn't understand and I am at a loss for how to explain to her the depth of the connection that is now between us." Atem said.

Atem glanced down, his paw harshly swiping aside a loose pebble, "She seems to think that the only connection between us is a sexual one. Even called herself my whore. I may not fully understand what the word means but given the context I am guessing it means a human girl who just lets herself be used for the sexual pleasure of others. I don't know how to change her mind. How to show her that we are much more than just a sexual connection." Atem growled.

Atem sighed, "I want to know her. I want her to know me. I want to connect with her. I want her to connect with me. To desire me. To trust me. To embrace **us.**"

Atem shook his head, "And I'm a fool but I'm going to do what is no doubt the dumbest thing I have ever considered in my entire life. But, I need to try. If I don't do this then I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. Its my only choice." Atem said.

And with that thought in mind as the sun continued to rise Atem headed back down the mountain and back towards the clearing. He needed to get back to his mate.

XXXXXX

Yami woke up alone in the pile of pelts that made up Atem's bed. After they had returned from her grandfather's yesterday Atem and her had somehow or another managed to ignore one another. He had checked up on her briefly, after which they had argued _again _and then he went about his normal pack business and left Yami to her own devices. Which, yes to a degree had been nice, but it had also been aggravating. And it shouldn't be! She should have been more than happy that Atem had left her alone.

Worse still that she was only able to mope in his wigwam for about an hour or so before she dragged herself outside to rejoin Mana, Serenity and Kisara for some more sewing. Kisara gave some pointers on how to put in a patch over the left knee of Atem's pants which had over time been worn almost paper thin. It took her the better part of three hours to get the patch put on but it was definitely an accomplishment that she was somewhat proud of.

She didn't see Atem again until dinner that night, apparently he had gone out hunting with some of the other wolves and they brought back a few deer. Atem had come and sat beside her as the pack ate their meal. And despite the resolution Yami had made earlier that day she still couldn't figure out how to ask Atem what she needed to know to be able to stand by his side as an equal. Maybe today she'd be able to find the right words.

But first, she needed to bathe and get dressed, which meant she was going to take a trip down to the creek to wash up. Now, if only she'd been thinking when she'd been at her grandfather's house last night she would have also packed some soap. But at the very least she could rub the sweat off her body and change into fresh clothes before she rejoined the women for some more sewing.

She grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder before she began to make her way out of Atem's den. No matter what Atem insisted this den was always going to be his den. Not theirs.

"And where might I ask are you going Alpha female?"

Yami paused briefly to glance over her shoulder where she saw Seto was lounging casually beside the entrance to Atem's den. Yami frowned, "Down to the creek to take a bath. What business is it of yours where I go Beta?" Yami asked.

"Normally I would say none, however Alpha asked me to keep an eye on you while he was up on the mountain this morning." Seto said.

"And I told you where I will be going. You've done your job. Now, if you don't mind I'm going down to the creek to take a bath." Yami said firmly.

"I will gladly escort you down to the creek." Seto offered.

Yami snorted, "And watch me take off my clothes? No thank you." Yami replied. It was bad enough that Atem had seen her naked. She would be damned if anyone else did. She was a whore, yes but she wasn't going to be flaunting her naked body for just anyone to see.

Seto rolled his eyes, "I assure you, I am quite happily mated with the beautiful Kisara. I will not be watching you undress. Merely making sure that nothing happens to you on the trip to the creek and back." Seto said.

Yami narrowed her eyes, "And I said that I don't need you to escort me." Yami growled.

Seto sighed, "And I would much prefer to not make the same mistake that Joey did by allowing you to wander unescorted when Alpha has charged me with your safety." Seto said slowly.

Yami frowned, "So, you truly think me that incapable?" Yami snapped.

Seto shook his head, "No, not in the slightest. I just wish to obey the commands of my Alpha and ensure your well being. Try and look at this from your human perspective..."Seto began.

Yami snorted, "And what would you possibly know about my human perspective?" Yami snapped.

Seto sighed, "I know enough to be able to get by. Now, your president does he not have guards that watch him and his families almost every move?" Seto asked.

"Yes, but that is quite different." Yami pointed out.

"Really? How so?" Seto asked.

"Because there could be people who try and assassinate the president or harm members of his family." Yami said.

"And those people would be in danger, at least, deemed in need of protection because of who they are to your country. Is that correct?" Seto asked.

"Yes, that's correct. What's your point?" Yami snapped.

"My point, Alpha female, is that as the mate of our Alpha you would be our equivalent of their First Lady. And just as your First Lady wouldn't dream of going on a walk through the woods to the river unescorted neither should you." Seto said.

Yami groaned, "Fine. Okay, fine you win. Just keep your eyes to yourself. I already have Atem leering at me. I don't need you being a perve on top of it." Yami muttered.

"I promise you I will most certainly not be leering at you. Not to say that Alpha wouldn't kill me if I had." Seto vowed.

"Then lets go." Yami muttered before they made their way out of the clearing heading towards the creek. It only took a few minutes to reach the creek and Seto, without even being prompted, turned his back allowing Yami to undress before she slipped into the crisp, cool water. It was very relaxing just to be able to soak in the water, which was probably why Yami didn't feel a need to rush to get herself clean. Not like she had anything pressing she needed to be getting to.

"You know, on the rock to your left is what we typically use for soap here. Although if you would prefer I'd be more than happy to wash your body for you again."

Yami jumped, before glancing up to see Atem in his human form crouched beside her on the bank. She glanced over to see that Seto was gone. "I thought Seto said that you had headed up to the mountain." Yami said.

"I had. I got back not long after you and Seto had headed for the creek. He returned to the clearing after I arrived here." Atem said.

"Wonderful. Now, if you don't mind. I would really like to bathe in peace." Yami muttered.

Atem sighed, "I would actually like to talk to you about something." Atem said slowly.

"No, I'm not having sex with you right now." Yami muttered as her hand grabbed the primitive soap off the rock Atem had indicated to and began to quickly wash up. So much for her relaxing bath. Why did it seem that Atem was so intent of ruining everything?

Atem snorted, "That was actually not what I was going to ask." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Are you saying you weren't thinking about it?" Yami muttered darkly, although to her great shame she felt her cheeks flush as her mind flashed her an image of herself pinned beneath Atem. _God I am such a slut. _

Atem chuckled, "I am a healthy male in the presence of my beautiful mate, who is currently nude. I would be more concerned if the thought of you in that manner had _not _crossed my mind. That being said I have enough self control to know that now is not the time to be suggesting such a thing." Atem said.

"Like I said, a sex crazed pervert." Yami muttered before she set the soap back onto the rock and quickly began to rinse off. Once she was done she glanced over her shoulder to see that Atem was still watching her. "Can you at least have the decency to turn around while I get out of the water?" Yami asked.

Atem rolled his eyes before he did turn his back allowing Yami to climb out of the creek and walk over to her duffel bag where she pulled out another t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Rummaging around in the bag further revealed that she had in fact managed to pack a bra and some underwear as well, which she quickly put on.

"May I turn back around now?" Atem asked.

Yami rolled her eyes as she tugged on her shirt and tugged back on another pair of jean shorts before she sat down on the bank, pulling on some socks, "Yeah I suppose you can turn back around if you really want to." Yami muttered.

"Well, thank you." Atem said as he turned back around, his eyes briefly sweeping along Yami's body before he locked gazes with her once more.

Yami quirked a brow, "What? What was with that look?" Yami asked.

Atem chuckled, "Merely reminding myself that I am one very lucky Were." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes before she climbed to her feet, slinging her duffel back back over her shoulder, "I highly doubt you came all the way out here just to ogle me." Yami muttered.

Atem sighed, "No, you are absolutely right. I didn't. I came to ask you something instead." Atem said.

Yami paused giving Atem an incredulous look, "Ask? Don't you mean demand? Command? Order? Dictate? Those are all a lot more _Alpha _than asking me something." Yami muttered.

Atem snorted, "Cute. But in all seriousness, come sit with me..." Atem began.

"Ah! There's the command, I knew it had to be coming somewhere." Yami interjected.

"As I was saying, I want to ask you something." Atem said, continuing as if Yami had not interrupted him.

Yami rolled her eyes before she walked over and plopped down onto the ground beside Atem, "Alright, I'm sitting. Now what is it that the great _Alpha _Atem needed to ask little old me?" Yami asked sarcastically.

Atem paused for a moment giving Yami a pointed look before he looked away, "Must you make everything so difficult?" Atem muttered.

Yami snorted, "You made me sit down just to ask me that? Now whose making things difficult?" Yami replied.

Atem just rolled his eyes, "What I came here to ask you Yami, was would you consent to spending the day with me?" Atem asked and if Yami didn't know any better she would have said that he seemed almost nervous...or perhaps the better word would be shy. Which was kind of ridiculous if you thought about it. They had already rutted together twice. Atem had no reason to be nervous.

Yami rolled her eyes as she climbed back to her feet, "Don't I do that all the time? What more hunting practice?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "No, not more hunting practice and not like we normally do. You keep saying over and over again that I don't understand you. That I refuse to see things from your perspective. So, I'm asking. Would you consent to spending today, with me, in your human civilization?" Atem asked.

Yami froze for a moment as she just stared at Atem, her mind racing. What in the world was Atem playing at? He had made his disdain for all things human crystal clear right from the start and now, out of nowhere Atem suddenly decides that he wants to spend the day in the human world together with her.

"Why?" Yami asked, this made absolutely no sense. None. Atem would be the last Were ever to suggest venturing into civilization. _What can he possibly gain from this? _

"Because the more I really think about it, the more I have to concede that despite the fact that you are now a wolf I have no choice but to recognize that the human part of you is just as big a part of who you are as the wolf is. And as your mate I want to know all of you. Not just your wolf. So, if you would be willing I will accompany you to the human world for the day. I'll leave Seto in charge of the pack and we can return tomorrow after the sun has risen." Atem offered.

Yami frowned, "So, you're saying you would spend a whole 24 hours with me in Domino? 24 hours as a normal guy and not a wolf?" Yami said.

Atem nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying. So? What do you say?" Atem asked.

Yami snorted, "I'm not an idiot Atem. Of course I want to spend a day among civilized people. But, I have to ask, what's the catch?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted as he slowly rose to his feet, "What makes you think there has to be a catch?" Atem asked.

"Because its you! You wouldn't offer something like this if you didn't want something from me and I'm not going to agree to this until I know what it's going to cost me." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "There is no catch, other than that fact I'm going to have to rely on you to guide me. I've never actually spent any time in a human settlement. I've never wanted to so for once I'm going to be the one whose lost and confused." Atem said.

"I ask again, then why do it? Then why offer?" Yami asked.

"Because for some inexplicable reason I want to get to know my mate better and to make my mate happy! So I am going to put myself into a situation that I am not comfortable with and probably end up ultimately making things worse for you in the long run. But, its something that you want that I can give you so here I am making the idiotic decision to do this." Atem snapped.

For a moment Yami was quiet before she got to her feet and began to slowly make her way back to the clearing. Atem snorted as he followed her, "Are you at least going to give me an answer?" Atem asked.

Yami chuckled, "First, can you answer a question of mine?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "Sure...I guess...go ahead?" Atem replied.

"Do you even own a shirt?" Yami asked giving Atem's bare torso a pointed look.

Atem shrugged, "Does that even matter?" Atem asked.

Yami nodded, "Yes, it matters. If we're going to be heading into civilization then you need to have a shirt. The only time it would be considered appropriate for you to be shirtless would be if we went to the beach or to a pool. But, other than that shirt and shoes are required." Yami said.

Atem sighed before he stubbornly kicked a rock, "Well, that's just great! I want to do this and now come to find out I can't because I don't have the necessary human clothing." Atem muttered darkly.

Yami sighed, "Look, I have a sleep shirt here in my bag. Its a bit loose on me maybe it'll fit you or at least it'll work until I am able to get to a store and buy you some actual clothes. And are you honestly saying you don't have anything that can work for shoes?" Yami asked.

Atem shrugged, "I have some sandals that I never wear. My mom made them for me a few years ago. Before she died. I'm not even sure if they still fit. I never wore them." Atem replied.

Yami nodded, "Those will have to be good enough. Like I said at least until we can head to the mall and get you something a bit more suitable." Yami replied.

Atem shrugged once more, "So, is that a yes? You'll spend the day with me?" Atem asked.

Yami chuckled, "Yes, for some crazy reason my answer is yes. I will spend the day with you in Domino doing normal things like a normal teenager." Yami replied.

"Okay, then lets get going." Atem said.

Yami chuckled, "First we need to go back to your den and locate these sandals and have you try on my shirt then we can go." Yami said.

Atem snorted, "Who would have thought you would be the one who doesn't want to just run straight back to civilization?" Atem asked.

"Because I want to be able to actually do some things while we're there. And the only way that'll happen is if I make sure you're dressed properly. Although, we'll have to stop at my grandfather's house first. I'll need to grab some money to take you to the mall. You'll need some other clothes than just what we have here." Yami said.

The pair made their way back to Atem's den where Atem began rummaging around for the pair of sandals his mother had made him. It took him a while to find them but once he did he slipped them on, grimacing slightly. They were highly uncomfortable and more than likely a little bit too small for his feet. But they were shoes, so they would have to work.

Yami grimaced as she glanced down at the shoes Atem had crammed onto his feet but said nothing before she began to rummage through her bag. She pulled out an over sized black t-shirt she had gotten at a Mark of the Dragons concert her and Mai had attended last year. She tossed the t-shirt at Atem. "Here, try that on." Yami said, hoping that the shirt fit.

Atem slipped the shirt over his head and much to Yami's relief the shirt did fit him, certainly better than it fit her. Although, the shirt combined with his deerhide pants and sandals that were at least one side too small for Atem's feet he did look completely ridiculous. But, Yami couldn't help but smile as she looked at him. He was really making an effort.

Yami walked over to Atem and briefly wrapped her arms around him. Atem slung an arm almost possessively around her waist and for a few moments the pair just stood there before Yami pulled away. "Well, I guess we should get going. The sooner we get get to my grandfather's house the sooner we can get to the mall and buy you some decent clothes." Yami said.

Atem nodded, "Alright. Let's go." Atem said.

Yami paused for a brief moment before she gave into one of the strangest desires she'd ever had. She kissed him. The kiss didn't last for too long before Yami pulled back away. Slinging the duffel bag back over her shoulder. "We'll get there much easier if we go in our wolf forms." Yami commented.

Atem nodded, "That is true." He conceded.

"Can you help me to shift back?" Yami asked.

Atem quirked a brow, "I thought you had figured shifting out?" Atem said.

Yami flushed once again, "Yeah, I did. Problem is that when I do it by myself it hurts. A lot. So, can you..."

Atem said nothing, just pulled Yami back into his embrace, "Just relax. Relax and focus on the feel of my arms wrapped around you." Atem whispered into her ear.

And Yami did relax, allowing Atem to draw out her wolf side. It took a little more than a minute before she felt Atem's head butting against her shoulder and the pair padded out into the clearing together.

"Seto!" Atem barked.

"Yes Alpha?" Seto replied.

"My mate and I are heading into Domino today. We will be back in about 24 hours. You are in charge while I am away." Atem said.

Seto nodded, "Of course. Oh, one second." Seto said before he turned and sprinted into his den, returning with a cellphone in hand. A cell phone that looked just like the one Akefia had with him the night he'd met with Yami and her grandfather Seto slipped the phone into Yami's duffel bag. "I'll contact you only if there is an emergency Alpha." Seto said.

Atem nodded, "Right. Well, we're heading out." Atem said before he led the way out of the clearing and back to Domino.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 The Alpha's new clothes

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Atem and Yami playfully chased each other through the woods as they headed back to Domino and Yami found herself actually enjoying her time with Atem for the first time since waking up on top of the mountain after the full moon. It was actually kind of strange not being angry with him.

The two raced down the massive hill before coming to a stop beside the river. Atem walked over to Yami before briefly transforming and slipping the duffel bag off her and around his own shoulders. "You swim across the river. I'm going to take the boulders so your bag doesn't get wet. I'll meet you on the other side." Atem said before transforming back into his wolf form and darting further downstream.

Yami was actually smiling as she jumped into the river and slowly made her way across. She was officially going to be listing 'doggy paddling' as another work in progress although, when compared with hunting Yami figured she could call herself a doggy paddling expert. However, that didn't mean it was of a surprise that Atem was already on the opposite bank by the time Yami managed to swim across the river.

Atem lightly bumped his head against Yami's after she climbed out of the river. "You seem to be getting the hang of swimming." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "No, you can admit it. I'm terrible at it. I'm a much better swimmer in my human form." Yami replied.

Atem chuckled, "Well, I guess I'll have to take your word for it." Atem replied as the two trotted side by side through the woods and towards Yami's grandfather's house. "So, my beautiful mate, what do you have planned for us to do?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed, "Well, like I said. First stop is my grandfather's house. Then the next stop is the mall. You will need clothes. And shoes. Shoes are the first priority. And then...I honestly don't know. There are a ton of things that we could go and do together." Yami said.

Atem was quiet for a moment before he asked, "If you were on an outing like this with a human male, what would you be doing?" Atem asked.

Yami snorted, "You mean like on a date?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "Yes, I suppose that would be correct." Atem said.

"Well, to be honest. I don't know. I never went on a date with a guy before. I mean, I know everyone says they go out to dinner and then to the movies together." Yami said.

"Then we should most certainly do that as well." Atem declared.

Yami snorted, "You want us to go out on a date?" Yami asked.

"Yes. I do. I also want us to do whatever it is you want to do today. But, yes. I want to take my mate out on a human date." Atem said.

If Yami had been in her human form she would have been blushing right now. In reality she had never been asked out on a date before, unless you count the time that creep Duke had been hitting on her in the food court and to be honest Yami really didn't. Going out an a real date with Atem, that could be really nice.

"Okay, if you're asking me out on a date then I guess my answer will be yes." Yami replied.

"Excellent." Atem replied before he came to a stop beside the back door to Yami's grandfather's house and immediately shifting back into his human form before turning to Yami and wrapping his arms around her. Yami allowed her eyes to drift shut as she just nuzzled into Atem's muscular chest allowing Atem to draw her human side back out again. Deep down she knew that she needed to figure out how to shift on her own and stop relying on Atem to shift for her but...that was definitely going to be a problem for future Yami to worry about.

Atem chuckled, his hand lightly stroking along Yami's back, "As much as I am enjoying having you resting in my arms I believe you had a lot that you wanted to accomplish today." Atem said drawing Yami back to the present and she pulled away from Atem blushing before she lifted up the doormat and pulled out the spare key and stuck it into the lock.

"Right. I just have to grab some money and then we can be on our way." Yami said as she headed into the kitchen. Her grandfather always left a few of his credit cards in the kitchen for Yami to grab and use if she needed to. She had never abused the privilege so he hadn't cared what she used the money for. She grabbed two of her grandfather's credit cards and shoved them into her pocket before darting back up the stairs and into her bedroom to grab her purse.

Yami paused as she glanced over at her red stained bed sheets and winced. Yeah, that would just be a wonderful sight for her grandfather to see if he came back home. Or for Mai to see if she came into Yami's bedroom. Yami quickly stripped the bed, shoving the dirty linens into her hamper and headed into the linen closet grabbing her spare set and changing the bed. Once Yami was satisfied that the bed was good she picked up her purse and slipped her grandfather's credit cards into her wallet and slung her purse over her shoulder before heading back down the stairs.

"Alright Atem, are you ready to go?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "I am. Lead the way." Atem said.

Yami grabbed a hold of Atem's hand and led him out of her grandfather's house and down to the bus stop. "We have to take the bus to the mall since its way too far for us to walk to from here." Yami said.

Atem nodded as he took a seat down on the bench, "That's fine." He replied tugging lightly on their joined hands so Yami joined him on the bench before he released her hand and slung his arm around her shoulders and Yami lightly rested her head on Atem's shoulder and for a moment the two just sat their in a comfortable silence.

"How badly are those shoes hurting your feet?" Yami asked.

"They are most definitely uncomfortable but I have been in more pain before. I can tolerate it for however long you need me to." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "I still can't believe that you never really wear shoes. How can you possibly not have shoes? Wouldn't you get frost bite or something in the winter?" Yami asked.

Atem shrugged, "Wolves don't need shoes. As you have been told many times I am almost never in my human form. And I'm not. Before you joined the pack it had probably been almost two years since I had last assumed my human form...and then it was only briefly." Atem said.

"Which explains your lack of suitable clothing." Yami replied with a sigh.

"Something which you have vowed to address. It is why you said we are going to this _mall _that you mentioned, is it not?" Atem replied.

Yami snorted, "You really are absolutely clueless about humans. Aren't you?" Yami asked.

Atem shrugged, "I was never curious about them when I was growing up. Humans were a separate entity from us and I never wanted to really embrace that side of me. To me it had felt like embracing the human side would have been taking something away from who I truly was. I never begrudged those who wanted to explore human settlements." Atem said.

"But, you have a problem with Ishizu insisting on living and working as a normal human." Yami pointed out.

Atem sighed, "There is a distinct difference between visiting a human settlement for a short time. Trying something new and then coming back home after you've had your adventure, as opposed to repressing a part of who you are. Ishizu ignores the wolf within her. She cannot hunt, she can barely scent anything, contributes nothing to our pack, and to be perfectly honest hates the wolf within her. Her dream is to find a way to permanently silence the wolf which is such a huge part of who we are. Now, if she had made that choice just for herself that would be one thing. But, she also made that choice for Mahad and the spineless, ball less wolf that Mahad is he lets her! He has let her take away what is a core part of who Mahad is. He has let her convince him to deny that part of himself, to ignore it. And yes, seeing that does make me angry. Because what Ishizu has done is wrong. And if I'm perfectly honest I think my father never should have consented to allowing Mahad to bite her in the first place." Atem said.

Yami bit her lip, "You know, I've never really thought about it like that before. I just..."

"You were completely focused on getting back to your old life and never stopped to realize that the life you used to lead has been forever changed and that it would be truly impossible for you to return to your old life." Atem said.

"Maybe in part. But I can still have part of my old life back. Like see my grandfather. And if its possible I would really like to be able to finish school."Yami said.

Atem sighed, "We'll have to talk to Seto about you finishing school. I'm sure there has to be a way to get around you not actually attending school to be able to finish." Atem said.

By this point the bus had pulled up to the bus stop and Yami got to her feet, her hand once more slipping into Atem's as she led him up onto the bus, paying for two bus fares before they took an open seat at the back of the bus. Atem, once again slipped his arm around Yami, holding her about as close to his side as he could manage without actually pulling her onto his lap.

"Is something the matter Atem?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted, "I just don't like the way some of these men look at you." Atem muttered.

Yami just chuckled, "Just ignore them Atem. They're harmless." Yami said.

"That's easy for you to say." Atem muttered darkly before adding, "But don't worry I will ignore them, other than making absolutely certain they know that you are mine." Atem declared.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Whatever floats your boat Atem." Yami replied resting her head on his shoulder as her eyes drifted around the bus to see who exactly it was that had Atem so on edge. She saw Tristan Taylor was sitting a few seats up, waggling his eyebrows at her not unlike he had done a million times. But, Tristan was harmless. A chauvinistic pig sure, but a harmless one. All talk. Her and Mai had at one point mused if Tristan would even know what to do with a girl if he ever managed to find one that would give him the time of day.

It didn't take the bus too long to reach the mall and Yami quickly rose to her feet, her hand once more slipping into Atem's as she tugged him off the bus.

"Yo Yami!"

Yami paused briefly to glance over her shoulder. Tristan had followed them off the bus. "Can I help you with something?" Yami asked. Atem had slipped her arms around her waist so that she was standing back to chest with him and his chin was resting on Yami's shoulder as he glared at Tristan.

"It's been a while since I've seen you around. But seriously whose the guy?" Tristan asked.

Yami snorted, "This happens to be my boyfriend. Now buzz off Tristan before my boyfriend teaches you some respect. And I have a feeling that he won't be as gentle with his reminders as my grandfather." Yami replied.

Tristan just rolled his eyes before walking past the pair and heading into the mall. Atem's narrow blood red eyes tracking every move Tristan made. "I do not like him." Atem growled, his voice so low that only Yami was able to hear him.

Yami chuckled, "Don't worry. I don't care for him either. Now come on, we need to get you some new shoes and some new clothes before he head out." Yami said.

Atem didn't release Yami immediately but rather pressed a kiss to the side of her neck which made Yami shudder. Yami felt Atem smirk from where his lips were still resting against her skin. "Atem, behave." Yami groaned.

Atem sighed but he did finally release her. "Fine. I will behave. Now, lets go and do the shopping that you have planned for us." Atem said.

Yami nodded before she once again took Atem's hand. She tried to tell herself that she was only grabbing his hand so that he didn't get lost in the mall but she knew that was a lie. She was holding his hand because she wanted to hold his hand. Even if she couldn't begin to explain a single reason that she would _want _to hold Atem's hand.

Yami led the way through the mall heading right to a favorite shoe store of hers. She dragged Atem over to the mens section before pushing him down onto one of the many benches before she crouched down and tugged off Atem's sandal which was actually leaving red marks on Atem's foot form where it was digging into his skin. Yami set the sandal aside before picking up the Brannock Device. "Stand up straight so I can figure out what size shoe you wear." Yami hissed.

Atem said nothing as he stood straight up while Yami fiddled with the device. Atem, it looked like was a size 10 shoe. "Okay, it looks like you need a size 10." Yami said as she set the Brannock Device back aside and got back to her feet.

Atem chuckled, "And I'm assuming that means something to you." Atem said.

Yami resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Yes, that means something to me. Now sit here and take off your other sandal. I'll be right back with some shoes for you to try on." Yami said.

Atem chuckled once more as he sat back down and tugged off his other sandal. Yami shook her head almost fondly as she wandered down the aisle glancing at the different types of mens shoes. She had only shopped for mens shoes once in her life and that was two years ago when her grandfather had said he wanted a new pair of loafers for Christmas. It had taken her all of five minutes to walk in, grab a pair and pay for them. On the bright side, men shoes seemed to be a lot more simple than women's shoes. They had sneakers, dress shoes, sandals, boots, work boots and loafers that all looked pretty similar to one another if not very slight different variations of colors (black, brown, grey, or the occasional navy or white).

The problem was that even if they were so simple why was Yami suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Atem had NOTHING! Hell, less than five minutes ago he didn't even know what his shoe size was or even WHAT a shoe size was. He wouldn't have the slightest idea of what kind of shoes he liked.

"Well, I guess he'll need sneakers. And dress shoes. And sandals. And he'll need a pair of boots for the winter. And would hiking boots be better than sneakers for being in the woods?" Yami muttered to herself as she gazed up and down the different aisles. _Grandpa, I promise that once you are back home I swear I will pay you back for this because I have a sinking suspicion that this is going to end up being a very expensive trip to the mall. _Yami mentally vowed.

"Okay, sneakers first." Yami whispered. A part of her did recognize that she was being ridiculous. This was more than likely going to be a one time thing and Atem would never set foot in Domino ever again which meant that buying all these different shoes was more than likely going to be a waste of money. But, Yami was hopeful that maybe...just maybe he might decide to make the trip again and if he did then he would most definitely need shoes. And given how _talented _Yami had proven to be at sewing she certainly had no hopes on learning how to make Atem a decent pair of shoes. Maybe with time she might be able to make him a shirt or something but more than likely she'd never be able to make him a pair of shoes.

Yami glanced at the different types of sneakers before she grabbed a pair of plain black sketchers off the shelf. Black you can wear with practically everything. So, those should work. And as an added bonus they were slip on sneakers so Atem wouldn't have to worry about tying them. Yami froze _oh my god...does Atem even KNOW how to tie his shoes? _Yami thought to herself. God she hoped he did because that would definitely be an embarrassing thing to try and teach him how to do.

Now, since she had found him a pair of sneakers Yami then moved onto sandals. It was summer time and everyone was wearing sandals right now. She grabbed a simple pair of brown leather sandals off the shelf. They were slip ons and again, something that could easily be worn with almost anything.

_Two down, three to go. _Yami thought to herself as she made her way back down the aisle, walking past Atem. She dropped the two boxes of shoes next to him before heading into the next aisle. _Dress shoes. _Yami sighed. Well, technically Atem didn't own any dress clothes but maybe she'd buy him a pair of dress slacks and a nice dress shirt. He was the one who decided that he wanted to take her out on a date tonight. And when you went on a date you dressed up. It was kind of the thing you did. And part of dressing up was wearing dress shoes.

Yami quickly grabbed a pair of simple black dress shoes off the shelf. To her all the different dress shoes looked practically the same. They were black, they were somewhat shiny and they would pass as dress shoes. Which, in this case was going to be good enough. Yami then headed down by the boots. She found her eyes drifting to a pair of leather black boots with what looked like metal studs embedded along the seams. The boots came to a pointed toe and Yami blushed as she glanced away. The boots were stylish without a doubt and Yami couldn't help picturing Atem wearing them along with a pair of dark wash jeans or god forbid a pair of leather pants.

Yami shook her head. God she was being absolutely ridiculous. Atem was not a doll she could just dress up however she pleased. Even if the boots did look really sharp. Yami bit her lip before she reached out and grabbed the boots off the shelf. Maybe when Atem tried them on he wouldn't like them or would look terrible in them and then she could just put them back.

Yami then quickly walked further down the aisle, grabbing a pair of brown hiking boots off the shelf while hardly looking at them. _Maybe it might be a good idea to come back for winter boots closer to winter. _Yami mused to herself before she turned and headed back to Atem, although not without stopping up by the front and grabbing a bag of socks. Socks were required for all of them with the exception of the sandals. She paid for the bag of socks muttering to the cashier that her boyfriend was an idiot and hadn't brought a pair with him to try on shoes. The cashier had laughed as she rung them up said she hated it when her husband did the same thing, like they hadn't planned on going shoe shopping when they'd left.

Yami walked back over to rejoin Atem who was still sitting on the bench exactly where she had left him.

"Did you find everything that you were looking for?" Atem asked.

Yami ripped open the bag of socks and tossed a pair at Atem, "Put those on so we can try on these shoes." Yami ordered.

Atem frowned, "Why do I need to try on the shoes? I think that thing you stuck my foot in told you which shoes I would need." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Yes, they told me what size to look for. But every shoe is slightly different and you need to try them on to make sure they fit properly and that they don't hurt your feet. Some shoe brands run narrow, others run wide, some a little bigger others smaller." Yami explained.

Atem sighed, "If you say so." Atem conceded as he pulled on the pair of socks Yami had given him, "So, does it matter which pair of shoes I try on first?" Atem asked.

Yami shook her head, "No, it doesn't. You need to try them all on so I can see if I need to get you a different pair instead." Yami said.

Atem opened the box of sneakers first and pulled out he shoe before tugging it quickly onto his left foot, before putting on the right shoe. "They appear to fit." Atem said.

Yami sighed before she dropped back down onto her knees, "Stand up." Yami commanded. Atem did and Yami lightly pressed on the end of his shoe, checking to see where she could feel Atem's toes. They were down by the end of the shoe but she didn't think they were too close to the end. "Atem, can you walk down to the end of the aisle and then come back for me?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "Of course." Atem said before doing exactly as Yami asked. Yami watched as Atem walked down the aisle before coming back. She had to mentally force herself to look at Atem's feet because much to her embarrassment at one point her eyes had been locked on Atem's ass while he walked.

Atem then came to a stop beside the bench. "They seem adequate to me." Atem said evenly.

Yami sighed as she straightened up, "Did they hurt your feet while you were walking?" Yami asked.

Atem shook his head, "Walking with them on certainly felt different, but they did not hurt my feet no. Not like the sandals did." Atem said.

Yami nodded, "And what about your heel? Did you heel slide up and down while you walked?" Yami asked.

Atem shook his head, "No, it didn't." Atem said.

Yami nodded once again, "Good. That means they fit." Yami said, "Now I need you to take them off and try on the rest of the shoes." Yami said.

Atem chuckled as he sat back down and tugged off the sneakers before putting them back into the box and grabbing the pair of dress shoes and pulling them onto his feet. Yami was very relieved to see that Atem did in fact know how to tie his own shoes. And Yami once again checked to see where Atem's toes were.

All of the shoes fit and much to Yami's embarrassment even the metal studded boots she had picked out fit Atem and the did look good on him. Which led to Yami spending over 400.00 buying all five pairs of shoes.

Yami had Atem change out of his sandals and into the new pair of sneakers she'd bought him before they left store once again hand in hand. "Now where are we off to next my dear?" Atem purred in Yami's ear.

Yami shuddered. "Ummm, well, next we need to get you some new clothes to go with your new shoes." Yami said.

Atem nodded, "Very well, then lead the way." Atem replied.

Yami led Atem into the first clothing store that she saw for men. She'd never been in this particular store before but figured she'd at least be able to get some decent clothes for him. It just so happened that this was a store that sold men's dress clothes. Sadly, there wasn't a device she could just grab that would tell her what size Atem was which meant it was going to be a lot more trial and error than shoe shopping had been. And even with knowing Atem's size it had still taken them over an hour to get his shoes. It was already creeping up on noon, which meant that other than shopping her and Atem weren't really going to have time to do much of anything.

Then again, if Yami really thought about it, other than lounging by the pool hanging out at the mall was more than likely how Yami and Mai would have preferred to spend their day anyway. So, in that sense Atem was getting to see what Yami would have normally done on a given day.

"So, where should we begin beloved?" Atem asked.

Yami bit her lip, "Ummm, trying to figure out what size you are." Yami said slowly before she made her way over to one of the clothing wracks that held some mens polo shirts. Yami's eyes drifted over to Atem before flicking back over the polo shirts as she tried to guesstimate what his size would be before she grabbed a medium polo shirt off the wrack as well as large. He was more than likely one or the other. He was too muscular to be a small. And he definitely wasn't an extra large.

"Okay, now Atem I want you to go into the changing room over there and try on these shirts. After you try on each one come out and show me so I hopefully figure out what size you are." Yami said.

Atem chuckled, "As you command." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "What? Are you saying you like me being the one whose in charge for a change?" Yami whispered.

Atem shook his head fondly, "It is definitely a different experience. I'm okay with it to a degree, but that doesn't mean later I won't have quite the desire to demonstrate my dominance." Atem said. Yami flushed a brilliant shade of red before she started to push Atem in the direction of the changing room.

"Go change! Now you pervert." Yami hissed. She could not believe Atem had just said that. Talk about embarrassing.

Atem just gave Yami a leering looking, one of those looks that seemed to convey _to be continued _before he turned into the fitting room carrying the two polo shirts. Yami had nothing better to do than wait. It didn't take Atem more than a couple of minutes to change into the first polo shirt. It took a lot of Yami's self control not to laugh. Atem looked ridiculous in his deerhide pants wearing a polo shirt not to mention the color shirt Atem was wearing looked downright terrible on him. But, Yami reminded herself they were only using this to determine what Atem's size was.

It appeared that Atem had tried on the larger size first. And the shirt did in fact fit him but it was a bit on the looser side. She thought that the medium, although not doubt a touch less comfortable, would actually look better on him. "Go try on the other one." Yami said.

Atem said nothing before stalking back into the fitting room while Yami's eyes drifted over to a rack containing dress pants...and froze. _Shit! _Yami thought. How the hell was she supposed to have Atem try on pants if Atem didn't own any underwear? That was just gross. Yami glanced out the front of the store if she had to guess she could probably buy a package of boxers in the store across the hall. Nothing fancy just something so Atem could try on clothes.

"Atem?" Yami called out.

"Yes." Atem replied as he came striding back out of the fitting room. The medium shirt definitely did fit him better, showcasing quite nicely Atem's toned chest.

Yami nodded, "Okay, that shirt looks like its the right size. Now, go change back into the t-shirt you were wearing. I have to go and grab something really quick before you can start trying on pants." Yami said.

Yami darted into the store and headed straight to a wrack where she saw some mens boxers hanging. They would work. She grabbed a medium pair off the shelf before running upfront to pay for them. The cashier bagged them up for her before Yami sprinted back into the store where Atem was, thankfully, still waiting patiently.

"Okay, now we can work on figuring out what size pants you need." Yami said.

Atem quirked an amused brow, "And what did you need to rush off and buy that was so important?" Atem asked.

"Underwear. You can't try on pants without having a pair of underwear on." Yami said flatly.

"Ah. Of course." Atem said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"Now, stand still while I hold these up to you to try and figure out what length you need. Yami said before she grabbed a pair of dress slacks off the shelf and held the up to Atem. They were way too long. Yami tried to measure the waist as well and again, they seemed to be too big for Atem. So, Yami grabbed another pair and thus the process continued until Yami had finally found a pair that she thought would fit. A 34 x 32 pair.

"Okay, go and try these on. _With _the underwear." Yami hissed.

Atem accepted the pants and underwear before he headed into the changing room. Yami sighed, shopping could definitely be exhausting. But, it needed to be done. Again, it didn't take long for Atem to change and Yami nodded when she looked at the pants on Atem. They fit. Excellent, now she at least knew what sizes Atem needed.

Now, onto the main event finding him clothes. Yami wandered over to a black pair of dress slacks and flicked through the wrack until she found a pair in Atem's size and draped them over her arm before heading over to the section with dress shirts and her eyes were immediately drawn to a blood red silk dress shirt the exact color of Atem's eyes. Her eyes flicked over to Atem before drifting back to the shirt and picked it up. _Atem will look good wearing this. _Yami mused before she grabbed a plain black tie off the table a short distance away. And then, just for a laugh she grabbed a black sports coat. Atem would more than likely NEVER wear it but it would be nice to have him try it on.

"Come on. Back into the dressing room." Yami hissed as she pushed the clothes into Atem's arms. "Put these on and then come back out here. I'll help you do the tie." Yami said. Her grandfather, sadly, could not tie a tie to save his life which meant Yami had had to learn on the few rare occasions they had needed to go somewhere formal. _Thank god for Youtube or I never would have figured it out. _

Atem came back out of the dressing room a few minutes later and for a moment Yami was just frozen. Atem looked _good. _No, that was an understatement he looked amazing. Hot. Fine. Red was definitely his color, not to say he didn't look great in black too. Atem walked up to the still frozen, and much to her embarrassment, drooling Yami.

"Like something you see?" Atem whispered drawing Yami back to the present. She flushed in embarrassment before turning her attention onto the tie Atem was still carrying in his hand.

"Yeah. These clothes look great on you." Yami said as she flipped the collar of Atem's dress shirt up and slid the tie around his neck and began to tie a Windsor knot. Once she was satisfied with the tie she folded the collar back down and tucked the tie into Atem's sports coat and stood back.

If anything Atem looked even hotter. _Who would have thought I have a thing for a guy wearing dress clothes. _Yami mused.

"We are getting that. All of it." Yami declared as her gaze swept up and down Atem's body once more. Yes, they were definitely buying all of that. "Now, go change but keep the underwear on. We still have other stores we need to go to and you'll need to try on more clothes." Yami said.

Atem chuckled but headed back to the changing room. Yami shook her head. She needed to get a grip on herself. Atem was just a guy. A guy she happened to have slept with, true, but still just a guy. He should not be having this much of an effect on her. Problem was he was. And there was no denying that she found him attractive. Something picking out clothes like that did NOT help.

Atem came back quickly enough and Yami paid for the outfit. She also snagged a monogram tie click with the letter A on it for the cashier to ring up and they headed once more out of the store.

"How much more shopping do we need to do?" Atem asked.

Yami frowned, "Why?" She had actually been having fun and to be perfectly honest would be sort of disappointed if they stopped before they had gotten Atem everything he needed which still included casual clothing. Shorts, jeans, t-shirts those kinds of things.

"Well for one thing you need to eat something here soon. We've been out and about for quite awhile and we have not eaten yet." Atem said.

Yami sighed, "We can always head up to the food court to get a bite to eat if you want. Its on the next floor." Yami said.

Atem also nodded towards their bags. "And also if we get too much more then we will certainly struggle to carry all of this." Atem said frowning before adding, "I won't be able to hold your hand."

Yami blushed, "Well, we do still need to buy a couple of more things but you do have a point. I'll need to see if all of this can fit into one of my suitcase bags at home." Yami replied as she led the way on the hunt for a store selling casual men's clothing. "Now, this shouldn't take as long since we at least know what size clothing you need." As her grandfather once said 'it shouldn't take too long' were famous last words that ranked right up there with 'I know what I'm doing'.

Atem gave Yami a bit of a pointed look and she slipped her hand back into Atem's. "Come on, hopefully this might be the last store we need to head into and then you should be pretty much set." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "Very well, if you say so." Atem replied evenly.

Yami continued to tug Atem through the mall her eyes scanning the different stores as they passed looking for a store that would have what she was looking for. Her eyes briefly drifted over to Atem. A part of her still really could not believe that Atem was here with her right now, willing to spend hours being dragged around the crowded shopping mall trying on countless clothes that no doubt in his mind he had no intention of ever wearing again. But yet, that's exactly what he was doing and he hadn't voiced a single complaint.

Yami frowned. No that wasn't true although she wasn't sure what Atem had said could even qualify as a complaint. He had requested that they stop and get something to eat. Or more specifically he had said that _Yami _needed to eat. And then he had complained about all the bags they were carrying around. Not because they were heavy or because he was getting tired. No, he had complained because if they had gotten too many more bags then he would no longer be able to hold Yami's hand.

Up ahead Yami saw a clothing store that she thought would work and she tugged on Atem's hand leading him in that direction. Atem followed her once again with no complaint as they entered the store. Yami immediately headed over the shorts and grabbed two or three pairs in Atem's size. Two pairs of jean shorts in different washes and a pair of board shorts. Before she headed over to the jeans section. She grabbed a dark wash denim pair of boot cut jeans and a nice pair of black jeans. For some reason she seemed to prefer darker colors on Atem. They just looked better with his dark skin tone.

She made her way through the store, snagging a black tank top that she thought would look very...if she would admit it...sexy on Atem and set it in her growing pile of clothes. Her blush deepened when she spotted a pair of black leather pants. Technically speaking Atem did not _need _a pair of black leather pants. Then again, technically speaking you could argue he didn't need most of the clothes she was holding. And not unlike the boots she had grabbed earlier she found herself picking up the pair of pants and draping them over her arm before moving onto the t-shirts. She grabbed a couple of different t-shirts that she thought were amusing. Her favorite one said: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except Bears. Bears will just kill you.

Yami glanced down at the small pile that was hanging from her arm. She was getting a bit carried away and she knew it. "Come on Atem, let's go and try these on." Yami said before she led him into the dressing room and unlike in the previous store Yami did not wait outside for Atem to change.

She carefully hung all the clothing she had grabbed up on the hook in the changing room before she turned to Atem, who closed and locked the door before she kissed him. Hard. Atem's arms slipped around Yami's body pulling her close as he returned the kiss almost hungrily. Atem pressing her body against the wall of the changing room as he deepened the kiss making Yami groan as it felt like a fire was beginning to burn beneath her skin.

It took more self control than Yami would have cared to admit to pull away. Atem rested his forehead against Yami's own. "Do I want to know what that was for my mate? Not that I'm complaining, merely curious." Atem whispered.

Yami sighed, "I just wanted to thank you. You've been absolutely great today. About everything. Most guys can't stand shopping and we've been doing this for hours and not once have you complained. Like I said...I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated what you're doing and I couldn't think of what to say. So, I kissed you." Yami said.

Atem chuckled before he pressed his lips to Yami's once more. This kiss was almost soft, sweet and slow and somehow it still managed to make Yami's toes curl as Atem leisurely slipped his tongue back into Yami's mouth. Yami's arms slipped around Atem's powerful shoulders at the pair just continued to kiss before Atem finally pulled away leaving Yami breathless. "If me spending the day with you like this makes you happy then I am more than willing to do so. Now, as much as I regret to bring this up I should probably try on these clothes you picked out for me before we end up finding another use for this changing room." Atem growled.

Yami gulped. "Right. You need to try on these clothes." Yami said.

Atem just smirked before he pulled away from Yami and tugged off the t-shirt he'd been wearing and his pants as well. The way his eyes were locked with Yami's as he pulled his pants off implied he was almost flirting with her and she couldn't help but flush. _They must have the heat cranked up in here or something. _Yami thought to herself as Atem stripped himself down to the pair of boxers he was wearing.

"Now, what would you like to see me try on first?" Atem asked.

Yami reached almost blindly behind her grabbing at the stack of clothes before her hands closed on the pair of leather pants and she tossed them at Atem. "Put those on." Yami said, as her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red.

Atem smirked and kept his gaze locked on Yami as he tugged on the skin-tight pair of black pants that hugged every curve in Atem's muscular legs. As Atem pulled the pants up and zipped them Yami almost forgot how to breath. Atem's smirk broadened. "I take it you like seeing me in these." Atem purred.

Yami nodded slowly as she continued to stare at the pants for some reason she couldn't' seem to get her brain to work enough to form any words. Atem it seemed was amused by her reaction because he reached past her and grabbed the black muscle shirt and pulled it over his head. "So, how do I look dear?" Atem asked. The look on his face clearly telling Yami Atem already knew the answer to his own question. He looked damn good.

"Good. You look good. Now take them off. We're buying those." Yami said as she finally managed to force her brain back into gear.

Atem chuckled before he stripped once more and grabbed another pair, this time a pair of shorts and one of the t-shirts. Just as Yami was expecting everything she had picked out fit him and they headed over towards the check out counter. Yami snagged a metal studded belt that matched the pair of boots she'd gotten Atem earlier and added it to their pile.

Yami felt her eyebrow raise in surprise as she glanced at the time on the clock behind the counter. There was no way it was already after 4 in the afternoon. Where had all of the time gone?

"Is something the matter?" Atem asked, frowning in Yami's direction.

Yami sighed, "I didn't realize it was already this late. Looks like we're going to have to skip the food court all together if you want us to have a dinner date. Its already practically dinner time." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "Very well. Then let us purchase this then catch the bus back to your grandfather's house. Then we can change and go out on our date." Atem said.

"Right." Yami said, once again feeling her cheeks heating up. She had no idea why the thought of going out with Atem on a date on a _real _date like the ones on television or in romance novels made her so nervous. No, nervous wasn't the right word for it. She was excited.

Finally it was there turn to check out and Yami internally winced as her grandfather's credit card took another size able hit. This had been an insanely expensive trip to the mall but when her mind supplied her with some mental pictures of some of the things she had gotten for Atem she couldn't argue that the stuff they had gotten wasn't worth the money.

Atem shifted the bags around in his hand until he was able to carry them still in one hand and have a free hand to hold Yami's own hand. "Well, then let us be on our way so we can get to dinner sooner rather than later. As I said you need to eat Yami." Atem said.

Yami nodded, "Right. I know and we will." Yami agreed as they headed back to the bus stop.

"So, what does one typically wear on a date?" Atem asked as they waited for the bus to arrive.

Yami shrugged, "I guess it would be something they would think their partner would like. Plus something that would be appropriate for where they were going." Yami said, she paused a moment before adding, "You could probably wear practically anything that we got today. It's totally up to you."

Atem nodded before standing up as the bus pulled up. "I will keep that in mind dearest." Atem said before they boarded the bus, with Yami once again paying for both of their bus fares.

As they took a seat near the back of the bus with their many shopping bags resting by their feet Yami leaned her head against Atem's shoulder while he draped his arm around hers shoulders. Somehow the two of them had survived a trip to the mall.

Now all she had to do was survive a date with Atem. That shouldn't be too difficult should it?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Ten Thousand Hours

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami and Atem returned to her grandfather's house they headed up to Yami's room and dropped all of their shopping bags. Atem then turned to Yami, "So, where exactly would you like to go for our date? There has to be somewhere that you would be interested in going for dinner." Atem said slowly.

Yami shrugged, "Ummm, well, to be honest I'm actually not sure. Like I said I've never gone out on a date with anyone before." Yami said.

Atem nodded, "I know that, which is why I want to know where you want to go. I want to make this evening special for you. And unfortunately I don't know enough about Domino to make any suggestions. So, where would you like to go?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed, "Well, there is an nice Italian restaurant about a ten minute walk from here that my grandfather and I used to go to whenever we wanted to celebrate something." Yami said slowly. It really was probably one of the nicest restaurants she had ever really been too.

Atem nodded once more, "Okay. Then that is where we will be going tonight. And given that you haven't eaten anything today I would suppose we should both start getting ready." Atem said.

Yami nodded, biting her lip, "Okay. Well, I guess you can get ready in my grandfather's room if you wanted to. Typically when you go out on a date with someone they don't see you until they are getting ready to leave. So, I guess after you get ready we can meet downstairs." Yami said.

Atem nodded, "Alright. I can do that." Atem said as he picked up the bags and carried them into Yami's grandfather's room to get ready.

Atem sighed as he set the bags down on the floor before he got undressed and thought about what he had learned. His mate had gone to great lengths to select the clothing she had purchased for him but Atem would like to think he'd been paying close attention to her reactions. Hopefully he'd paid close enough reactions to pick out what would be the idea outfit to wear.

Atem dug out the pair of black leather pants that had left his mate looking like she wanted to jump him and set them on the bed. If she reacted like that to seeing him in those pants them perhaps he might have to start wearing those instead of his deerhide pants. Atem nodded, now since he had decided on his pants next step was shoes.

Atem picked up the pair of pointed boots that his mate had blushed about when she'd handed him to them at the mall. And since he'd decided on the boots he supposed the belt that matched them was also going to be required.

Atem then frowned as he looked a the plain black muscle shirt which Yami had had him wear with the pants. That to him seemed a bit on the casual side and this was supposed to be a date. He may never have gone on a date before but that didn't mean he was completely blind to what a date was. His goal was to impress his mate. Simple as that and to be perfectly honest just putting back on an outfit that his mate had managed to put together herself seemed a bit like he was cheating.

Atem went back to digging through the bag before he pulled out the red silk dress shirt his mate had picked out as well. "What if I wore this over the black shirt? Maybe only buttoned it half way?" Atem mumbled before he just shrugged and started to get dressed. If he was not dressed appropriately he was going to be counting on Yami to inform him of that.

It didn't take Atem all that long to get dressed before he headed down the stairs and took a seat on the couch while he waited for his mate. He could hear water running upstairs and assumed his mate was taking yet another shower...which puzzled him. She bathed earlier this morning in the creek, why was she taking yet another bath? Did she seem to think he thought she smelled or something?

"I wonder if it would be considered rude if I informed my mate that I like the way she smells?" Atem muttered to himself. To be honest he really wasn't sure. A Were who had grown up as part of the pack would not doubt understand and accept that as her mate Atem enjoyed breathing in the scent was was uniquely her. Then again, the human side of his mate might take Atem bringing up her smell as insulting. _Maybe it might be for the best if I don't bring up her scent. _Atem mused. Better to be safe than sorry.

XXXXXXX

Yami stepped out of the shower and for several minutes just stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom. It was times like this she really missed having Mai around. Normally what would have happened if one of them had gotten asked out on a date the two would have spent the day at the mall picking out a brand new outfit that was no doubt going to knock their future date's socks off. Then Mai probably would have insisted on them taking a trip to the spa and perhaps even to the salon to get their hair and nails done. And then Mai, would put on Yami's makeup since she was a lot better at applying makeup than Yami was on her own.

But the reality was that Mai was not here with her right now. She was on her own and she had to get ready for this date. A tiny part of Yami, the part that was still very much in denial about having any kind of attraction to Atem at all demanded that she just toss her hair up into a ponytail and throw on a pair jean shorts and a t-shirt and call it good enough. She didn't want to impress Atem. He was just a savage beast who wanted to use her body.

But the much larger part of her, the part that was currently responsible for making all of the decisions right now told that bitter part of her to shut up. That despite what had happened between them already Atem was currently making an effort. And after him not only agreeing to come here in the first place but also letting her drag him around the mall for HOURS shopping. Atem more than had earned her giving him an effort in return. So, that meant she was going to dress up for him and if the petty part of her didn't like it than it could get stuffed.

Besides, her inner romantic piped up that there was no denying that Atem was attractive and that when you got around to ignoring his more...animalistic...downright asinine traits he was actually a very fanciable guy that if he'd attended Domino High with them Yami could have seen her and Mai gossiping about.

Yami dug under her bathroom sink and pulled out her curling iron and plugged it in before she went and grabbed a brush and began brushing her hair. This might take a while but, hopefully the end result would be worth it. She'd know if it was when she got to see the look on Atem's face when she came downstairs. While Yami waited for her curling iron to finish heating up she headed into back into her bedroom and began rummaging through her closet for something to wear. Yami frowned, nothing in her closet seemed remotely appropriate.

Yami almost gave up hope before she found at the very back of her closet, sitting in the garment bag from when her and Mai had bought it a dress. Yami remembered trying on the dress and almost being too embarrassed to come out of the dressing room in it. But, Mai had finally managed to coax her to and even more than convinced her to buy the damn thing.

Yami grabbed the garment bag and pulled out of her closet and set it on her bed. The dress was made of a material that looked like it was purple glitter. Mai argued it brought out the color in Yami's eyes beautifully. The dress hung off both of her shoulders, leaving them bare and had three-quarter sleeves otherwise. However, that wasn't the main concern. The dress hung down to about an inch below Yami's knee on the left side. The problem was the slit on the right side of the dress that exposed half of Yami's thigh as the dress cut up and seemed to tuck in almost toga like.

"I cannot believe I am actually considering wearing that thing." Yami muttered to herself before she headed over to her dresser and dug out a pair of lacy underwear that she slipped on. Since the dress left her shoulders exposed it would mean no bra. So, with that thought in mind Yami pulled the dress on. She couldn't help but blush as she looked at herself in the mirror. It didn't look bad on her...persay...and if she was being objective she could see Mai's point that the dress was very pretty. The problem was she wasn't sure she actually had the confidence to go out in public wearing it.

Once Yami was dressed she headed back into her bathroom and began to painstakingly curl her hair in long ringlets. Once she was done with that Yami finally turned her attention onto make up and finishing touches. For makeup she did the basic eye liner with a gold eye shadow that seemed to make her eyes sparkle. She also applied a touch of blush and lipstick but slipping on a simple gold chain just to have something around her neck. She decided to forgo perfume because she wasn't sure if Atem's sensitive nose would care for it. And then to complete her look she grabbed a pair of four inch simple black heel and slipped them on.

Yami paused once more in front of her bedroom mirror. She honestly almost didn't recognize that it was her starring back at her.

"Well, here goes nothing." Yami whispered to her reflection before she headed to the door of her room and slowly made her way down the stairs. Atem must have heard her coming because she was about half way down the stairs when Atem appeared standing next to the bottom of the stairs and they both froze as they looked at one another.

Yami never would have thought of combing the red silk shirt with his leather pants ensemble but damn did that look good on him. Yami resisted the urge to shudder as Atem's eyes seemed to rake along her form, almost like he was slowly drinking her in before his eyes once more locked with Yami's own eyes.

Yami gave Atem a small smile. "So? What do you think?" Yami asked shyly.

Atem instead of answering right away instead slowly made his way up the stairs until he was standing on the step right below Yami's. "What I think my sexy mate, is that I will have to be particularly watchful tonight lest some idiotic human decides to try and make a move on you. That and that I am one very lucky Were. Never in all my life have I ever seen someone who comes close to you." Atem growled, his voice dropping to a deep, low octave that was doing funny things to Yami's insides.

Yami's smile broadened. "You don't look too bad yourself. That color red looks really good on you. Brings out your eyes." Yami said.

Atem smiled before he managed to hold out her arm for her, "We should probably get going my dear. You need to eat and the longer we linger here the more likely your hard work getting ready will be for nothing and I take you back upstairs and show you how much I appreciate what you've done in a different way." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Is that all you can think about Atem? Sex?" Yami asked as they made their way down the stairs and out the front door. Once they were outside Atem's arm slipped out of hers before he wrapped it around her waist, with the palm of his hand resting on the front of Yami's hip.

"No, sex is not all I can think about. But that is most certainly a desire you bring out of me quite easily." Atem replied.

Yami blushed as she glanced away, "Thank you...I think." Yami replied.

Yami felt Atem's hand squeeze her hip in what she assumed was supposed to be a comforting motion. "It was both a compliment and a statement of fact. As my mate you will no doubt have this effect on me for the rest of our lives." Atem said before he gave Yami a cheeky smile, "Not to say before we mated you weren't driving me nuts to begin with."

Yami snorted, "You certainly did a pretty damn good job of hiding it." Yami replied.

Atem shrugged, "At the time the focus was on getting you through the full moon. However, given what had transpired we had no choice but to address what had happened." Atem said.

Yami fell quiet once more as they continued to walk. It wasn't going to be too much further before they had arrived at the restaurant. Thankfully it was still relatively early right around 5pm on a Tuesday so it was of no surprise that Yami and Atem were shown to a table with no wait. Atem proved that apparently he was completely clueless, by coming and pulling out Yami's chair before taking his own seat across from her.

"That was very gentlemanly of you." Yami commented.

Atem chuckled, "Yes. I remember hearing Seto mention that on one of his and Kisara's ventures into Domino he'd learned that was what a male was supposed to do when their female went to sit down at the table." Atem said.

Yami chuckled, "Well, thank goodness for Seto then." Yami replied.

Atem chuckled once more, "Indeed." Atem replied.

Yami picked up the menu just in order to have something to do. She was inexplicably nervous even though it was just Atem who was sitting across from her. Under the table she felt Atem's hand rest on her knee and Yami found herself lowering her menu to once again look at Atem. "Is everything alright?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed, "Yes, everything is fine. I'm just...I don't know...feeling a little bit nervous I guess." Yami said.

Atem frowned, "Why would you be nervous?" Atem asked.

Yami just sighed once again, "I just, I don't know. Probably because I've never done this before. A part of me doesn't know what to expect." Yami said.

Atem chuckled, "Ah. I understand." He paused for a moment before asking, "You do at least know what humans are supposed to do on a date, right? Because I'm clueless." Atem said.

Yami shrugged, "I have a general idea. They go out to eat at a nice restaurant like this one, get to know one another. Maybe hold hands. And if the date goes really well maybe they kiss each other good night at the end of the night." Yami said.

Atem just chuckled, "Well, I guess it seems like we have a general idea. We can work with that and try and figure it out from there." Atem replied.

Yami just shook her head although she felt the beginnings of a smile creeping onto her face. "Yeah, I suppose we could." Yami said.

Conversation trailed off when the waitress appeared at their table. She was a girl that Yami could clearly admit was very attractive. Far more attractive than Yami was that's for sure. And what was worse, she seemed to have her eyes locked on Atem who as of now hadn't even noticed the waitress had joined them.

"Welcome to Francesco's my name is Vivian and I'll be your waitress for this evening. Can I start you out with something to drink handsome?"

Yami cleared her throat awkwardly as she tried to swallow the angry retort that seemed to be on just the tip of her tongue. "We haven't really had a chance to look at the menu yet. Perhaps just a couple of waters to start." Yami managed to choke out.

The waitress frowned before she walked a bit closer to Atem, who had finally glanced up at the waitress. "I can go over the drink options with you handsome. There are some _really _good ones." Vivian purred. Yami clenched her fists as she watched the waitress clearly flirting with Atem right in front of her.

Atem just shook his head, "No thank you ma'am..."Atem began.

"Please, call me Viv." Vivian interjected, her hand resting on the table in such a way that her perfectly manicured fingers were resting lightly on Atem's hand, her eyes fluttering no doubt in what she knew to be a very seductive way.

"As I was saying Ma'am, I'm not interested in having you go over the drink menu with me. My date has ordered two waters and that will be all for now. Now, if you'd be so kind we would really like to get back to our date." Atem said, his tone sharpening ever so slightly. It wasn't quite the bark that he used when he was in full Alpha 'I'm going to rip someone's throat out' mode, but it was definitely a sharp tone nonetheless.

Vivian frowned before she harshly jotted down the order of two waters before she stalked away from their table. Yami just glared after Vivian's departing form, frowning. She was drawn from her thoughts when she felt Atem lightly place his hand on her bare knee.

"Now, where were we before she interrupted us?" Atem said.

"Umm, I believe we had decided to just wing this whole dating thing." Yami said slowly.

Atem nodded giving Yami's knee a light squeeze before finally withdrawing. "Well, I suppose the restaurant you chose qualifies as a nice restaurant, so we've already gotten that part right. You said getting to know each other was up next." Atem said.

Yami nodded, "Yeah." Yami said.

Atem just shrugged, "And how would two people on a date go about getting to know one another? Is there a special trick or something?" Atem asked.

Yami couldn't help but laugh at the question Atem asked. She also had a feeling he asked such a ridiculous question just to make her laugh and forget about Vivian's earlier intrusion. That or she was reading _way _too much into that smirk he had on his face. "Don't be ridiculous Atem! They ask each other questions just like anyone else." Yami said once her laughter had finally begun to die down.

Atem nodded, "Then I suppose we should begin with asking questions. Does it matter who goes first?" Atem asked.

Yami snorted once more and she began to feel some of the tension draining out of her body. This was actually the most relaxed she'd been with Atem since before the full moon. "No, it honestly doesn't matter who goes first. And before you ask no we don't have to keep score or anything else ridiculous like that. Just learn things about the other person." Yami said.

Atem chuckled, "Good to know. Alright then, why don't you start Yami. Ask me something." Atem said.

Yami fell quiet, her hands once more fiddling with the menu just to have something to do. What in the world was she supposed to ask Atem? She couldn't ask him any of the normal questions people ask. Atem wouldn't have a favorite band or favorite subject in school. He'd probably never read a book so he wouldn't have a favorite one of those either. Same with movies. His favorite food was more than likely something like deer or another animal that he has hunted. "Ummm," Yami muttered as her mind began to race. She didn't want to ask Atem something corny like 'what is your favorite color' so was coming up blank. _I knew it! I knew suggesting us going out on a date together was bad idea. _"What's your favorite memory?" Yami finally blurted out.

"My favorite memory? Hmm. I'll have to think." Atem said slowly, he was frowning ever so slightly but not in a way that suggested he was upset by Yami's question. But rather that he was thinking about something. Atem was quiet for several moments before he finally spoke again, "Well, my favorite memory was probably from when I was, what 13 maybe 14 years old." Atem said.

"Wait, how old are you anyway?" Yami said suddenly blushing when she realized she didn't know. Atem had just said that Ishizu has been turned a few years before Atem was born. He had never mentioned his actual age.

Atem chuckled, "If the gods continue to be good then I will be 18 next month." Atem said.

Yami nodded, "Okay. Good to know. You can continue now, sorry for interrupting." Yami said.

Atem just shook his head fondly, "No, its fine. You can ask me anything. Now, where was I...ah, yes I remember. I was about 13 or 14 years old when my father first took me up with him to the top of the East Mountain. I'd never been before. I had been ready to go with the hunting party that day but my father said he wanted me to go with him that day. The east mountain is a decent hike. Remind me one of these days once the issue with the invading pack has been resolved I'll take you there. Anyway, we headed out the East Mountain. Climbed up to the top and just sat there. Gazing out over our territory. Then out of the blue my father started growling at me." Atem said.

Yami frowned, "Growling at you? Were you in trouble or something?" Yami asked.

Atem shook his head, "No, I wasn't. Anyway my father starts growling at me. Like really growling at me. Almost snarling. His tail was upright and flicking slightly from side to side, his body tense. He wanted to fight. I was also set to back down, like I should. He was the pack Alpha. My father barked at me to fight."

Yami's frown deepened, "Your father wanted you to fight with him?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "Yes he did. So, we fought. I put everything I had into that fight but I had no expectations other than that I was going to end up being the one who was flat on my back. But, that's not what happened. We fought for quite awhile on the highest peak before by some miracle I actually managed to pin my father to the dirt." Atem said and Yami could clearly hear the pride shining in his voice as Atem spoke.

"Needless to say I was in absolute shock and if it had been a serious fight my father no doubt would have managed to kick me off and probably finish me. Thankfully it wasn't. I let my father up and he butted his head against mine, his tail flat for the first time I had ever seen him. He told me that he was proud of me. Proud that I had proven I would be the next Alpha of our pack. He was recognizing me as an equal and worthy successor. And even though the gods saw fit to take my father from us about a year later I still can look back very fondly upon that moment. I may not have officially became the Alpha until my father passed, but unofficially I did in that moment on the top of the East Mountain." Atem said.

"Wow. That's really cool Atem." Yami said. And it was, it was a very neat memory and it did say a lot about how Atem viewed himself. Yami also had a feeling that it wasn't a story Atem shared with a lot of people. He may not have said as much but Yami had a feeling that what had happened between Atem and his father was a very private thing.

Atem smiled, "Now, I've told you my favorite memory...what about..." Atem began.

However, he trailed off with a slight frown as Vivian returned to their table carrying their waters which she set down in front of the pair before pulling back out her pad, "So, are you guys ready to order yet?" Vivian asked her eyes once more seemed to be glued onto Atem.

Atem shrugged. "Yami, why don't you order for us both. You've been here before whereas I have not. I trust your judgment on what would be a good thing to eat." Atem said.

"I can make some suggestions for you." Vivian said.

Atem shook his head frowning, once more Yami felt Atem's hand resting on her knee. His thumb was actually lightly tracing over the inside of her knee a motion that was seeming to keep Yami grounded somehow since she was struggling to not give into the desire to rip this waitress to shreds. _At the very least this...whore...isn't going to be getting a tip at all. _Yami thought darkly. "No, my date knows what I like to eat. I trust that I will like whatever she selects." Atem said.

Yami quickly flipped open the menu, "Ummm, I'll have a Fettuccine Alfredo. And Atem, Atem will have the Chicken Parmigiana." Yami said before closing the menu once more and holding it out for Vivian to take.

Vivian took the menu from Yami with a fake smile plastered on her face, although the smile did nothing to hide the absolute hatred she was no doubt feeling for Yami. Which was just fine since in this moment the feeling was entirely mutual. Atem also handed over his menu and Vivian stalked back off to put their order in with the kitchen.

"You were saying Atem?" Yami said.

"You asked me about my own favorite memory. I only thought it would be fair if I asked the same of you." He paused for a moment before adding, "That is, if you are comfortable with sharing that with me."

Yami smiled, "No, don't worry. I am comfortable telling you. My favorite memory was from when I was thirteen. Mai and I had decided that we were going to go on a grand adventure so we had packed up our stuff and decided to go wandering around in the woods. We didn't stray too far. I think the farthest we might have managed to get was out by the river. That was when we'd found him." Yami said.

"Him?" Atem asked.

Yami nodded, "Yeah. A classmate of mine by the name of Weevil Underwood. His a huge nerd and completely obsessed with bugs. He's also a bit annoying. Okay a LOT annoying. But he tended to stay our of my way and I stayed out of his so in that sense we didn't bother each other. Anyway, Mai and I had gone out hiking when we found Weevil. He was passed out it looked like. Just laying on the ground. When we first found him Mai actually thought he was dead. I managed to get him turned over and I noticed that he was breathing but just barely. Like he was struggling for air. His face was beat red. And I reached into his bag and saw that Weevil had an Epipen. So, I gave him a shot with his Epipen before scooping him up on my back and running as fast as I could back to my grandfather's shouting for Mai to call 9-1-1." Yami said.

"Not to interrupt your story but what exactly is an Epipen? I've never heard that term before." Atem said.

Yami chuckled, "No, its fine. An Epipen is a portal shot that has a dose of epinephrine in it. People who have an allergic reaction to something can use it to help treat their reaction until they are able to get the medical attention they need. Otherwise, they could die if they have a bad enough allergic reaction. Like Weevil was having. Come to find out the bug lover is deathly allergic to bee stings. Go figure."

Atem nodded, "Ah. I understand now. Please, continue."

Yami nodded. "So, I ran through the woods carrying Weevil on my back as we raced back to my grandfather's house. Mai was on the phone with 9-1-1 telling them we were on our way coming out of the woods and about how we'd found Weevil unconscious. The ambulance met us at my grandfathers. The paramedics were starting to run into the woods just as Mai and I came running out. Weevil was rushed to the hospital but the good thing is he was okay. Mai and I saved his life that day." Yami said.

Atem smiled, "A very heroic tale. You should be proud of yourself. Not many people have the presence of mind that is needed to take action in the case of an emergency." Atem praised.

Yami nodded, "Yeah. That's what the paramedics said when they were loading Weevil into the ambulance. Didn't stop him from being annoying or anything but hey at least he was still alive to drive me and Mai nuts." Yami said.

It was at this point that Vivian had returned once more this time, thankfully, she was carrying a platter that was loaded with their entrees. Vivian harshly plunked Yami's plate down in front of her before turned and gently placing Atem's plate in front of him, clearly trying to take as long as she good to give Atem his food.

"Excuse me, but could I have some Parmesan cheese on mine?" Yami said sharply.

Vivian rolled her eyes but pulled out the Cheese grater and began to quickly shred up some Parmesan. "That's good. Thank you." Yami said.

Vivian then turned her attention right back onto Atem, "Would you like some?" And yes, Yami logically knew that she was asking Atem if he wanted any cheese but her whole body language seemed to ask if she was asking if Atem wanted to sample something that was most definitely _not _on the menu.

Atem shook his head, "No. I'm good. You can go now." Atem said.

Vivian walked away with a huff. Atem turned his attention back onto Yami who was now harshly biting into her fettuccine. "Is that woman bothering you?" Atem asked.

"I don't like how she keeps flirting with you." Yami muttered darkly.

Atem snorted, "Ah. Is that what she's trying to do? I will say her attempts are wasted on me." Atem said.

Yami paused in the motion of shoveling in a forkful of pasta. "Are you saying you didn't notice her? Trust me if you'd given her the chance she would have crawled right into your lap here in the restaurant." Yami growled.

Atem chuckled, "I assure you that would never happen. The only female who will _ever _crawl into my lap in the manner that you just implied would be yourself. Besides, she isn't my type I guess you could say." Atem said.

"Oh? And what is your type?" Yami asked.

Atem smirked, his hand once more resting on Yami's knee under the table, "That's simple. You." Atem said.

Yami blushed a brilliant shade of red and yes she knew that comments like that shouldn't still be getting to her, after all she already had sex with Atem. But, at the same time she couldn't help but react to the ridiculous comment he made. "When you say what your type is you describe traits in general that you like. Traits that a number of individuals can fulfill. I am not a type." Yami mumbled.

Atem frowned, "Then, in that case I would have to say that I don't have a type. My eyes are for you and for you alone. I'm not interested and don't want to look beyond that." Atem said.

Yami smiled before she went back to eating her meal, although this time a lot less rough. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Atem was beginning to eat his own food. She really did hope that he liked what she'd picked out. All she really knew about Atem was that he was a carnivore so figured picking out a dish with meat in it was a good place to start.

"You made an excellent choice my mate." Atem purred after he had managed to clear almost half his plate.

"Glad to hear that you liked it." Yami said.

"So," Atem said between bites, "Should we continue getting to know one another?"

Yami sighed, "I suppose we should. But, just to be fair Atem. Its your turn to ask a question." Yami said.

Atem chuckled, "My turn? I thought I had just asked a question." Atem said.

Yami shook her head, "No, what you did was have me take a turn answering my own question. Its not the same thing. So, nope its your turn to come up with a question to ask." Yami said.

Atem chuckled, "Very well. Then I would have to ask what would be an ideal day for you?" Atem asked.

"My ideal day? That's a tricky one." Yami replied.

Atem nodded, "It might be but I would very much be interested in hearing what your answer would be." Atem said.

Yami sighed, "Well, before, well you know, my ideal day would have been waking up at around nine to the smell of my grandfather cooking breakfast. Bacon and eggs. I come down the stairs and the two of us eat breakfast together, something we always did every morning no matter what. After breakfast was over I'd meet up with Mai and the two of us would probably spend the morning at the mall. After we finally got tired of shopping we'd head back to Mai's house and change into our swimsuits and spend the rest of the day swimming. My grandfather would wander over after he had decided to close up the shop for the day and there would be an impromptu BBQ in Mai's backyard before my grandfather and I walked home together at the end of the day." Yami said.

Atem nodded, setting his fork down on his now empty plate. "That does sound like an appealing day however, I am curious why you felt the need to specify that was what your ideal day would have been before your attack. That, to me, implies that your ideal day has changed." Atem said.

Yami blushed, "Well, suffice to say that it might be changing. Getting to see my grandfather would most definitely be a part of my ideal day no matter what." Yami said.

Atem nodded once more, "And I can respect that. You are family. And I do promise that once you are ready and able to visit human civilization unescorted I will give you that permission." Atem vowed.

Yami reached across the table, grabbing Atem's hand with her own. "Thank you." Yami said, giving Atem's hand a squeeze. She had genuinely worried that Atem would never allow her to come back to Domino on her own. Hearing him promise that he would was a huge relief.

"Can I interest you guys some desert?" Vivian interjected shattering the moment between the two. Yami went to pull her hand away but Atem held firm.

"No, I think we're all set. We'll just take the check." Yami said.

Vivian gave an annoyed huff before she put the check down on the table, "I'll be back in a few minutes to get that." Vivian replied before she walked away.

Yami slipped her hand out of Atem's and grabbed the check. It wasn't bad, only 32.00. Yami reached into her purse and pulled out her debit card. She may not have a lot of money but she did have enough to cover her and Atem's dinner date. She refused to acknowledge the phone number jotted down on the bottom of the receipt. Yami stuck the card into the leather check holder before setting it on the edge of the table.

"Well, I told you mine. Only fair you share your own." Yami said.

Atem smirked as he slipped his hand back into Yami's, "I have a feeling that today would most certainly qualify as my ideal day." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "That isn't the point of the question Atem. And besides, don't lie. You can't stand being in Domino. So, come on answer the question honestly." Yami said.

"Spending the day with you, doing things that you enjoy and seeing that beautiful smile on your face is most certainly something that would be part of any ideal day that I could come up with. The only way this day could improve would be if it ended with you and me _together_ once more. Whether that day is back home or here in Domino doesn't matter to me. As long as you are with me and happy, that is more than enough for me." Atem said.

Yami blushed once more. That was, that was a very sweet thing for Atem to say. Vivian of course returned to pick up the check, once more giving Atem a seductive smile. "Atem, what do you say we not head to the movies after this. I honestly think I'd rather just go back home and you and I could curl up together on the couch and watch a movie." Yami said. Vivian shot Yami a dark look as she spoke.

Atem smiled before lifting Yami's hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "I would love that." Atem whispered.

Vivian stalked off in a huff and Yami couldn't help but smirk almost triumphantly. Vivian was back pretty quickly with the check which Yami took far to much pleasure in signing not after writing 0.00 for the tip and jotting down a note. _Waitress incredibly rude and could not take a hint that my boyfriend was unavailable. Honestly if it wasn't for the food her service would most certainly be enough to keep us from ever returning. _

Once Yami had finished with the check she got to her feet, Atem quickly rising to join her, his arm slipping around her waist as he led her out of the restaurant and back towards her grandfather's house.

"Are you quite alright with the change in plans?' Atem asked.

Yami nodded, "Yes, I am. I may not fully know what's wrong with me but for some reason I just want to be alone with you right now." Yami said.

Atem smirked, "No, I understand. And trust me I want to be alone with you as well." Atem said.

Yami retrieved the hidden key and unlocked the door leading Atem back inside, "Alright Atem, what's your favorite scent?" Yami asked.

Atem chuckled as he wrapped both arms around Yami's waist, his nose burying in the crook of her neck for a moment while he breathed in deep. "The smell of fresh water with just a hint of Lavender." Atem whispered.

Yami rolled her eyes, "I am not the answer to every one of these questions Atem." Yami muttered.

Atem chuckled as he pressed his lips to the crook of Yami's neck, "I never said you were. It just so happens you happen to be the answer to this particular question. Now, what is _your _favorite scent?" Atem asked.

Yami blushed, "Pine and Cinnamon." Yami replied.

Atem chuckled, "Now now my feisty little mate, I thought you said that we couldn't be the answers to these questions." Atem teased.

Yami snorted, "As you pointed out for this question we were." Yami replied.

Atem spun Yami around in his arms before kissing her. His tongue quickly slipping past parted lips to twirl with Yami's own. Yami's arms slipped around Atem's shoulder as they continued to kiss. Yami vaguely was aware of her back being pressed against the wall beside the stairs as the two kissed but that didn't matter as she lost herself in the tango their tongues were currently dancing.

The kiss ended leaving both of them breathless as Atem rested his forehead against her own. "Now, either we begin this movie quickly or..."Atem began.

Yami chuckled, "Or why don't we just skip the movie and head up to my room? You're right, movies are way over rated and I highly doubt we would have even watched half of it." Yami replied.

Yami heard Atem's throat give a primal almost wolf-like rumble as he scooped Yami up in his arms before he carried her back up the stairs and deposited her on the bed, his eyes dark with lust as he gazed upon her. Yami quickly got up and began unzipping her dress, "Sorry, I don't want you to end up ripping this. It wasn't cheap." Yami said.

Atem's eyes were absolutely hungry as he watched the dress slip from Yami's body to pool on her bedroom floor leaving Yami only in her underwear. Yami gave Atem a cheeky smile as she walked up to him and began by slipping his silk dress shirt off and tossing it aside, "You my big powerful mate are still way too over dressed." Yami purred before she tugged his black tank top off and tossed it aside as well, her fingers beginning to undo Atem's leather pants that honestly should not be legal.

Yami felt Atem's fingers slip into the edges of her underwear as he pushed them down just as Yami got his leather pants undone and pushed them and his boxers down. Atem stepped away for a moment to pull off his boots and kick off his pants and underwear. For as tight as those pants seemed to fit Atem was very quick at removing them.

Atem then pulled Yami's bare body flush against his own as he kissed her. Hungrily. Yami was not surprised during the course of the kiss to find her body landing atop her bed as Atem continued to kiss her as he settled between her thighs.

And that was the most confusing part of this entire day. She had really enjoyed every moment she had spent with Atem. And as she felt him begin to push his way insider her again she was only mildly surprised to find that was exactly what she wanted him to do. Not necessarily an alien part of her that she couldn't comprehend but she wanted to be with Atem.

"Oh god Atem." Yami groaned as Atem gave a powerful thrust connecting with a spot inside her that had her literally seeing stars.

"My beautiful mate. Mine and mine alone." Atem growled as he continued to thrust into Yami over and over again.

"Yes. Only yours. Make me yours again." Yami groaned as she slung a leg somewhat awkwardly around Atem's waist allowing Atem to thrust even deeper into her.

And the strangest part of today was that terrifying conclusion she had come to while they pair had been walking back from the restaurant. And that was if she wasn't careful she could easily find herself falling in love with this man...no this Were that was currently on top of her.

And gods help her. She didn't care. Atem may have already taken her body and made it his own. Now, he was well on the way to capturing her heart as well. And with that thought in mind she allowed herself to get lost in the passion with her mate.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 One Giant Leap Back

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Atem was the first to awake the following morning his beautiful, perfect mate still sound asleep beneath him. He leaned down and lightly pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck before he finally forced himself to slip from within her. He was halfway climbed off of her when he froze, his nose lightly nuzzling the side of his mate's throat.

Fresh water and Lavender. Atem frowned, there was something else there. It was subtle but he could definitely smell something else. It was another flower not just lavender. _Is that cornflower? _Atem thought to himself as he continued to nuzzle Yami's throat, trying to work out what precisely the new scent he was picking up was.

He had been nuzzling his mate's throat for several minutes as his mind tried to identify the new scent when it finally hit him what a new scent even meant. His mate was carrying his pups. Gods above she was carrying his pups! HIS PUPS!

Atem could not help but grin. This was without a doubt that happiest day in his life by far. The day he discovered he and his mate were going to be parents. This day will of course ultimately be topped when the day comes for the pups to be born but still it was definitely going to always been in the top five best days of his life.

Atem sighed as he gazed down upon his sleeping mate. He had to tell her, there was going to be no getting around that. But, the question was how was he going to bring that up? You can't just spring news like that on someone. It was exciting news yes. News that had him wanting to go out back and transform just so he could howl and share his excitement with his pack. But, before he could give into that temptation he needed to tell Yami.

Atem slowly climbed off the bed before wandering over to his mate's duffel bag and digging out the cellphone that Seto had given him before he left. Given what he just discovered Atem had a strong feeling that it would be for the best if he and Yami delayed their return to the clearing. She was without a doubt more comfortable here in the human world and news like this was no doubt best delivered where someone was comfortable.

It took Atem several seconds of starring at the phone before he figured out which button he needed to push to call Seto but thankfully he did manage it before he brought the phone up to his ear, listening to it ring.

"Alpha? Is everything alright?" Seto answered.

Atem nodded, not that Seto could see. "Yes Seto, everything is fine. However, there has been a slight change in plans. My mate and I will not be returning to the clearing until later. Tomorrow at the latest." Atem said.

"Very well Alpha. I will see you and your mate when you return." Seto replied.

Atem said nothing more before he disconnected the call. That was one very good thing about Seto. He never questioned Atem's decisions always trusting that his Alpha had a reason for everything that he did even if Atem didn't feel the need to share that reason with him.

Atem shoved the cellphone back into his mates duffel bag before he crawled back into bed with his mate, drawing her into his arms once more. Breathing her scent in deeply. Gods above he would never tire of breathing in this new scent.

And now that he knew she was pregnant he couldn't help but wonder. How many pups would they have? Would the litter be male or female? Or a mix of both? He really hoped that they had some female pups but he would be happy no matter what they had.

Finally he felt Yami beginning to stir in his arms she slowly blinked open her beautiful violet eyes before she stretched.

"Good morning." Atem whispered, his arms still wrapped around Yami's torso.

"Morning." Yami replied after she had stretched. "Gods I need to take a shower." Yami muttered.

"I could join you if you'd like." Atem replied. He was ansy and deep down he knew it but the realization that his mate was with pups was both exhilarating and absolutely terrifying. He didn't want to let her out of his sight, especially when they weren't back in the clearing where he knew for a fact that she would be safe.

Yami shrugged, "You don't have to but if you want to I'm not going to say no." Yami replied.

Atem nodded, "Well, if its all the same to you then I would like to join you." Atem said.

Yami nodded before she removed the blankets and slowly slipped out of Atem's arms before heading into the bathroom. Atem followed right behind her. Yami paused briefly at the sink before opening the cabinet above the sink. "I can't believe we went to bed without me washing off my makeup last night." Yami muttered as she used a cleaning pad to remove the makeup from her face.

Atem chuckled as he slipped his arms back around her body, resting his hands on his mate's still flat stomach. "Well, we did lose ourselves to the desire to mate. We weren't' really thinking about the makeup." Atem replied.

Yami sighed, "I guess you have a point." Yami replied as she finished washing the make up off her face before heading over to the shower. The two climbed in together and Atem forced himself to keep things quick and simple. He was not a slave to his desires and no matter how much he might have wanted to he was not going to pin his delectable mate against the wall.

Showering did not take long before they headed back into Yami's bedroom. "So, I take it now we need to be heading back to the clearing." Yami said. Atem could hear the disappointment in her voice and that again reminded him that he had, at least in this instance, made the right decision.

"I actually called and spoke to Seto while you were asleep. I told him that we were going to be staying here for another day but that we would be back either by tonight or tomorrow at the latest." Atem replied.

Yami turned around smiling, "That's great! But...I have to ask, why?" Yami said.

_Because I need to figure out the best way to tell you that we're having puppies. If you had been a normal Were I just would have said it and left it at that. You aren't and the last thing I want is you freaking out and trying to run away again. _Atem thought to himself. Although he also knew better than to say such a thing out loud. "You seemed so happy yesterday. And, well I want spend more time with you like that. You said there was a lot more stuff we could do here in Domino. So, I figured I'd give you another day." Atem said. It was a lame excuse and he knew it but sadly it was the only thing he could come up with at the moment.

Yami's grin broadened before she literally pounced on Atem, knocking him back onto the bed before kissing him, deeply. Atem kissed Yami back, his arms slipping around his mate's waist as he tried not to lose himself to the feeling of his mates tongue twirling with his own. It was several long moments before Yami finally broke the kiss. Atem tightened his hold around Yami's waist, "Can I ask what that was for?" Atem asked, "I only want to know so I can repeat it in the future."

Yami just smiled before slowly slipping out of Atem's arms and heading over to her closet. "By just being an amazing mate." Yami said

Atem nodded in acknowledgment before he also climbed out of the bed before he quickly darted out of his mates room and back down the hall to her grandfather's where the bags of clothing they had purchased yesterday were still sitting. He pulled out a simple pair of board shorts and one of the t-shirts out of the bag before slipping them and another pair of boxers on, figuring that should be good enough. He changed as quickly as he could before darting back into his mates bedroom, just in time to see her slipping into a pair of shorts, her top half still nude.

Yami glanced back over her shoulder. "That was quick." Yami said as she glanced at what he was wearing. "You look good dressed like a civilized human." Yami commented.

Atem frowned briefly at the comment but forced himself to ignore it as he continued to watch his mate getting dressed. Yami was slowly looking through a wide variety of shirts, apparently trying to decide what she should wear.

"So, what do you say we head down to Six Flaggs today? I bet you'd really enjoy that." Yami said.

Atem shrugged, "If that is what you want to do my mate then that is what we shall do." Atem replied evenly.

Yami glanced back at Atem as she slipped a tank top over her head. "Do you even know what Six Flaggs is?" Yami asked.

Atem shrugged once more. To be perfectly honest he neither knew nor cared what Six Flaggs was. He was more concerned with just finding the right words to tell Yami that they were going to be parents so they could get back to the clearing. "No, I don't." Atem said flatly.

Yami smiled, "You'll love it. Trust me."

Atem nodded, "If you say so my dear then I trust you." Atem replied.

"Go and grab your shoes and then we can get going. The park opens at 11, so if we leave now we'll be able to get there just as they are opening." Yami said.

Atem paused for a moment as his mind raced to come up with an excuse to keep Yami with him before he blurted out, "Ummm, I actually don't remember which shoes you said were supposed to go with this outfit. Can you come show me?" Atem asked.

Yami just shook her head almost fondly, "And now I know how Jane must have felt. Lucky you're so adorable." Yami muttered.

Atem frowned as he followed Yami back down the hall, "Who exactly is Jane? Is this another friend of yours?" Atem asked.

Yami shook her head, "No, Jane was the English woman who introduced the King of the Jungle, a man named Tarzan who had been raised by gorillas his entire life to civilized society. In a way you're a lot like Tarzan, pretty clueless." Yami said.

Atem's frown deepened. He might be reading far too much into his mate's comments but if he didn't know better he would honestly think she had insulted him. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he felt about that. But, that was going to be another problem for another time. Right now he had bigger things to worry about.

Yami walked back in her grandfather's room before pulling out the pair of sandals that she'd picked out at the shoe store yesterday and handing them to Atem, "These should work." Yami said.

Atem nodded before he quickly slipped on the shoes and followed Yami back out of the room as she headed back down the stairs and slipped on her own pair of sandals. "Well, let's get going then so we can catch the bus. I'll warn you its going to be a pretty long ride to the park it'll take an hour to get there by bus." Yami said.

Atem sighed. That was not what he wanted to do at all. "Is there nothing else you would like to do today instead?" Atem asked.

Yami paused frowning, "Do you not want to go to Six Flaggs?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed once more, "Personally, I would prefer that we do something a bit closer to your grandfather's home." Atem said.

Yami's frown deepened, "You mean closer to MY house." Yami growled.

Atem frowned, "No, I was correct the first time. You may have used to live here but this is no longer your home. Your home is with me back in the clearing, which makes this your grandfather's house." Atem growled right back.

Yami bared her teeth, "And why the hell do you want to stay so close to the woods? I thought you said we could have the whole day together to do something else fun. Because you wanted to make me happy? So why the fucking hell are you changing your mind?!" Yami snapped.

"And I'm willing to follow you to whatever stupid _civilized _thing you want to do. I just don't want to have travel a large distance to do whatever it is you have decided we're going to be doing for the day." Atem snapped back, taking a step closer to Yami as he spoke.

"Oh yes because teaching you about the wonders of civilization is such a _terrible_ thing. Isn't it Atem? Or are you worried that you'll come to realize that you like being a human. And that you aren't just a beast." Yami snapped back.

Atem's eyes narrowed before he stepped even closer to Yami his hands coming up as he slammed Yami's back against the wall. "I assure you I am most definitely a wolf. No amount of pointless time wasted here in _civilization _will change the fact that this is not where we belong. And this is not our true form. The ONLY reason I am here right now is for your benefit. That's it." Atem barked.

Yami snorted, "Oh. Right. How could I forget." She shook her head in mock realization, "Its so obvious now that I think about it. And I was the idiot that fell for it. You just wanted to fuck me. And you wanted me to let you so you came up with this whole ridiculous plan so I'd be okay with you fucking me. And me the naive fool...here I was starting to believe that you actually cared about me. That you wanted to know the real me. To learn about the world that I belong to. I forgot that I am nothing but your damn WHORE." Yami growled.

"Oh yes. Of course. That has to be it. Because, lets face it its not like we haven't had sex several times prior to last night. Every single one of which you were more than willing. I put myself through your ridiculous _human _nonsense because it was something that you wanted. I did that for no other reason that to make you happy. But of course that isn't good enough. Of course, somehow in your mind no matter what I do or do not do I will always be the bad guy in your eyes." Atem snapped back.

Yami's eyes narrowed, "Well, as we like to say here in civilized society. IF the shoe fits." Yami hissed.

Atem was quiet for a moment as he tried to clamp down on the white hot anger that had begun to boil deep within his gut. He hadn't been this angry much in his entire life, although the last time had been when Duke had attacked the very girl standing in front of him. And it was taking every ounce of his self control not to knock Yami to the ground and punish her for daring to speak that way to him. He had been NOTHING but accommodating to her. And this was the thanks he gets for it?

"And as you know damn well, I don't need any damn shoes. The only reason I bothered to wear any was because it was something you wanted. Coming here was a mistake." Atem snapped back.

"Oh yes, because the fact that we were having fun and enjoying ourselves like normal people. Civilized people were that makes this whole situation a mistake." Yami growled.

"And no matter how much you want to ignore it you aren't as you keep putting it over and over again a CIVILIZED person anymore Yami. You are a Were. You are a wolf. Just like me and the rest of the pack. And no matter how much you might want to pretend otherwise you can't ignore that fact." Atem barked.

Yami frowned, "The only one who thinks that we're actually beasts is you Atem. You're the one who has this whole situation backwards. We are cursed with the fact that once a month we have to turn into a wild savage beast! And only a true beast like you lets that define who they are. **I **know that I am still a person the rest of the month." Yami snapped.

Atem took a deep, calming breath. She certainly knew exactly how to get under his skin and if he didn't have such excellent self control this argument would turn into an actual fight. He'd pin Yami to the ground and settle the matter once and for all.

The argument came to a stop when Atem heard the sound of a cellphone ringing. Or more specifically the phone that Seto had given him so the pack could contact him in the event of an emergency. "Fuck." Atem snapped before he turned and darted up the stairs, "This isn't over Yami. We'll finish this after I find out what happened." Atem growled as he ran back up to Yami's room and grabbed the phone out of Yami's bag.

"What is it?" Atem snapped.

"Whatever the fuck you're doing right now Alpha needs to stop. We need you back on pack grounds. Now." Seto said, his tone grave.

"What is going on? We'll start heading back now but Seto what happened?" Atem asked as he started shoving all the clothes that Yami had purchased yesterday into the duffel bag as well as some more of his mates clothing before zipping the stuffed to capacity bag closed and slung the bag over his shoulder and darted back down the stairs.

"I'll tell you when you get here Alpha. This isn't something that I want to relay over the phone. But it is an emergency. Your pack needs you Alpha. Your family needs you." Seto said.

"And I'm on my way. I'll be there shortly Seto." Atem replied before he hung up the phone and shoved it back into the side pocket of Yami's duffel bag. "Yami we need to..." Atem began, only to freeze as he came back down the stairs to see that Yami was gone.

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me!" Atem swore as he raced over to the front door and yanked it open, hoping to catch a glimpse of where his mate had taken off to but he couldn't see her. Yami was gone.

XXXXXXXXX

Yami marched moodily down the street as she made her way over to Mai's house. If Atem thought she was just going to stand there and wait for him to come back and continue to berate her then he had another thing coming. He was wrong and it was really that simple.

_Mai was right all along. Atem and I just have a sexual relationship. He doesn't care about me beyond being able to pin me beneath him and use me. And I was a fool to think even for a second that wasn't the case. _Yami thought to herself as she rounded the corner. Mai's house was only a few blocks away from her and her grandfather's house and had always been Yami's home away from home.

Yami could not help but smile when she saw the large two story house with the white siding and lavender shutters. Last summer Mai's parents had foolishly agreed to pay Mai to repaint the house. Problem was they didn't specify the color scheme so Mai decided she wanted purple shutters so that was what her parents ended up with.

Yami slowly made her way up the driveway before she headed around the side yard and into the back. If Yami had to take a guess on a sunny day like today Mai would be out back sunbathing. Yami couldn't help but smile when she saw that she was in fact, correct. Mai was sitting lounging on a chair dressed in the purple bikini Yami had helped Mai pick out at the beginning of the summer. Yami could hardly believe that it was actually only 9 days ago this whole nightmare had begun.

Yami pushed open the gate and walked onto the pool deck. Mai glanced up briefly to see who had come out onto the pool deck, "What are you doing here hun?" Mai asked.

Yami sighed as she took a seat on the ground and slipped off her shoes before dipping her feet into the water. For some reason the smell of the chlorine bothered her more than it ever had before but Yami forced herself to ignore that. "I wanted to talk to you Mai, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity." Yami said.

Mai straightened up, "Well, I guess that depends hun. Are you actually going to talk to me or are you just going to lie to me again." Mai said and Yami could clearly hear now that she was listening to it that Mai was hurt by what had happened.

Yami sighed once more, "Mai, I know this is hard to believe. Trust me, I get it. I do. But I wasn't lying to you the other night. I told you the truth." Yami said.

Mai snorted, "Alright Remus, say that I believed you, not saying I do but let's say that I did. Are you next going to tell me you got a letter delivered to you by an owl and you're going to be attending Hogwarts or some other nonsense story." Mai asked.

Yami shook her head, "No Mai. I'm not. Look, I'm not expecting you to believe me. If I wasn't living this nightmare myself I probably wouldn't believe me either. But I'm telling the truth. I got attacked by a werewolf in my grandfather's backyard while I was taking out the trash. I was pounced on from behind and slammed into the dirt before the wolf viciously bit me on the shoulder. The bite was bad enough I wouldn't be surprised if I have a scar where he bit me. My grandfather took me to the ER and I was informed that I had contracted Lycanthropy. A disease that actually did make me into a monster. And I HATE it Mai. I hate it! I hate that there is this other creature that lives inside me that is so fundamentally different from who I really am. I wish I had never gotten bitten. But that doesn't change the fact that I did. And I was forced to move into the woods to live with the rest of the pack. Yes, there are more werewolves living in the woods. "

For several seconds Mai was silent and Yami just moodily kicked her feet in the pool. She glanced up when Mai took a seat beside her, also dipping her feet into the pool. "You aren't just making this up? Are you hun?" Mai asked.

Yami shook her head. "No Mai. I'm not. I could even prove I'm not lying but I really hate turning into a wolf and I don't want to shift. It hurts Mai. Shifting fucking hurts." Yami said.

Mai fell silent once again and the two girls just kicked their legs in the pool. "You know the one point in your favor Yami is that you are terrible at making up stories. It was why you got a C on your creative writing project. Teacher said you had no imagination. Not to mention you can't lie to save your life." Mai said.

"Gee thanks. Well, I guess my bad storytelling skills are coming in handy for once." Yami muttered.

Mai chuckled, "Yeah. Who'd have thought." Mai replied.

"First time for everything." Yami said before the two fell silent once again, just kicking their feet in the water.

"So, you want to tell me the story with jungle boy?" Mai asked.

Yami snorted, "Mai, you have no idea how luck you are that you don't have to deal with a guy. Putting up with Atem's bull is really not worth it." Yami said.

"Then break up with him." Mai replied.

Yami let out a snort of laughter, "Yeah. I wish but sadly Mai I have a feeling that things between Atem and me are a lot more complicated than that. I don't think I can just walk up to Atem and say 'things are over between us.'" Yami said.

"But seriously? You and him? How'd that even happen?" Mai asked.

Yami shrugged, "Hell if I know it just kind of did. We went from he was helping me figure out how to be a wolf to waking up the morning after the full moon and him telling me 'oh and by the way we totally fucked last night. And guess what that means we are married now. Isn't that great?'" Yami said.

"That's terrible." Mai said.

Yami sighed, "Its complicated. That's what it is. There are times, like yesterday, where he actually is an okay guy. He brought me back to my grandfather's house so that we could spend some time together just the two of us. Get to know each other and stuff like that. And I actually had a great time with him yesterday. He was nice. He was sweet. And I actually didn't want last night to end. And then there are times were he absolutely drive me insane. He is stubborn. Arrogant. Bossy. Controlling. Possessive. And it either has to be his way or no way at all." Yami said.

"That's insane Yami." Mai said.

"Tell me about it. And yes, we have had sex. More than once. Mentally I know its wrong and that we shouldn't but when it actually happens...I just..."Yami trailed off with a shrug.

Mai frowned, "Wait are you saying he rapes you?" Mai asked.

Yami sighed, "What I'm saying Mai is that its really complicated." Yami said.

Mai shook her head and got to her feet, "No, its really not. Either you wanted to sleep with him or you didn't. There isn't a middle ground. Either you chose to sleep with him or he forced you. Which is it?" Mai said.

Yami shrugged, "I don't know Mai. I really don't. Its hard to explain. There is a part of me that...I don't know. Wants it. Then there is another part of me that knows its wrong that I want it. And there is a large part of me that...likes it when we have sex. It feels good. But again, its not like I walk up to Atem and say 'hey Atem, I think we should have sex." Yami said she paused for a moment, "And that isn't even bringing in the whole animal thing. Or the domination. And all that stuff that's also thrown in just because of course nothing in my life can ever just be simple."

"That...sounds messed up Yami. Like really messed up." Mai said.

Yami laughed, "That's what I'm trying to say. Its all kinds of screwed up. And yes there are times that I think you are absolutely right. That I am a whore. I feel like one. Like all that exists between me and Atem is sex. And then there are other, very rare, times where it feels like there might be something else going on." Yami said.

Mai sighed, "Look, I shouldn't have called a whore." Mai said.

Yami snorted, lightly knocking her shoulder against Mai's, "Don't worry about it. You have nothing to apologize for. Especially since I'm not sure you aren't wrong." Yami said.

Mai snorted, "And even if it IS true, as your friend I should have known better than to say it." Mai said.

Yami shrugged, "You were upset. I get it. And like I said you just put into words what I was already feeling. I just have to get used to the fact that I am a whore. Atem's own personal whore." Yami said.

"Yami..." Mai said.

"YAMI WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING TAKING OFF LIKE THAT!" Atem shouted as he came jogging up the side of the house before vaulting the fence.

Mai frowned, "And who the hell do you think you are coming onto my property uninvited? Get out." Mai snapped.

Atem however ignored Mai as he marched right up to Yami and harshly grabbed her by the arm pulling her onto her feet, "We are leaving. Now." Atem growled.

Yami frowned, "And what if I don't want to leave right now? What if I want to stay with my friend?" Yami asked.

Atem harshly yanked Yami away from the edge of the pool and back over towards the gate, "I don't care what you want right now. We are going back home and that is final." Atem growled.

Yami tried to pull back against Atem's iron grip. "Atem, you're hurting me." Yami said.

"And at this moment I don't care. Now lets go." Atem growled.

Mai also got to her feet, "You can't do that! You can't just march in here and drag her away against her will. That's kidnapping you psycho." Mai shouted.

"And this does not concern you. This is between me and my mate." Atem snapped.

"I'll call the cops." Mai said.

"Mai, please. Don't. I'll be okay. And I'll come and see you the next time I'm here. I promise." Yami called out as Atem gave another harsh yank. Yami turned and glared at Atem, "I'm coming. You don't have to be such a jerk. You're hurting me." Yami growled.

Atem said nothing and dragged Yami out of Mai's yard and back down the street towards her grandfather's house.

"We're not at Mai's anymore so LET GO of me." Yami growled as she tried to pull her arm out of Atem's grasp. There was not a doubt in Yami's mind that Atem was going to leave a bruise.

"You knew better than to take off like that." Atem hissed.

"And I did it anyway. I know that. But that doesn't justify you hurting me!" Yami snapped.

"We are going back to the clearing where you will be confined to our den until I decide you can be trusted not to run off again." Atem declared.

Yami started pulling even harder against Atem's grip, "You can't do that!" Yami growled.

"I just did. You did not have permission from me to be wandering around unsupervised. You broke pack law for the second time. And this time there are consequences for your actions." Atem growled as he dragged Yami into her grandfather's back yard before finally letting go of Yami by shoving her to the dirt at the edge of the treeline. "Shift. We need to be going. Now." Atem growled, his teeth bared.

"And what if I don't want to shift?" Yami snapped back.

Atem's eyes narrowed before he crouche down and once again harshly grabbed a hold of Yami's arm, "Then I'll make you." Atem snapped.

And he did exactly that. Yami actually cried out in pain as her body began to quickly and painfully undergo a shift. The shift itself was over in seconds and left Yami panting and her entire body aching. Atem nudged her with his muzzle. "Move." Atem growled.

For a moment Yami just glared at Atem before she turned and trotted into the woods, "I hate you." Yami growled. Although, Atem either didn't hear her or he just didn't care and right now Yami would bet that he just didn't care what she had to say.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: If I Die Young

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Atem moved through the woods as quickly as he was able although he kept having to stop and wait for his dawdling mate to catch up to him. Atem knew that Yami was intentionally moving slowly and that fact was really not helping his temper any.

Atem was forced once again to come to a stop beside the river while he waited for Yami to make her way there and that for him was the final straw if it wasn't for Yami right now he'd have already been back to the clearing already.

Atem trotted back down to her. "Either move quicker or shift back and climb on my back and I'll just carry you. We need to get back to the clearing as quickly as possible." Atem growled.

Yami snorted, "Oh, and what's the big rush?" Yami asked.

"That's just it, as of this moment I don't know all the details. What I do know is that Seto said there was an emergency and that I needed to return as quickly as possible. Which is why I don't appreciate having to waste so much of my time trying to get you to move." Atem barked.

Yami cocked her head to the side, "An emergency? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Yami asked.

"Because you were too busy defying me and running off that I didn't have the time to even mention it. Now are you going to move quicker or do I need to carry you? Because I am tired of stopping every twenty feet to wait for you to catch up." Atem snapped.

Yami sighed before she shifted back into her true form and clamoured awkwardly onto Atem's back. Atem said nothing further before he turned and sprinted over to the river, making quick work of the boulders before racing up the massive hill. Yami had to lean forward and take a firm grasp of Atem's fur to keep from being knocked off as Atem ran as full speed.

"I'M HERE!" Atem howled just as he was cresting the hill.

Yami did not hear a response to Atem's call but she did see Seto come bounding out of the clearing to meet Atem.

"Alpha." Seto greeted before he came up to the pair, Atem coming to a stop as his beta joined him.

"Seto, what happened?" Atem growled.

Seto sighed, his hard blue eyes drifted briefly to the forest floor before flicking back up to meet Atem's. "There's been an attack." Seto said.

"An attack? Where? When? Who was hurt?" Atem barked.

"From what I have gathered a few of the pups decided to take their hunting practice out into the woods and thought that they did not need to notify an adult to accompany them. Three pups left the clearing and only one badly injured pup returned. I don't know if he'll even make it. He did tell me that they had encountered some of the rogues and that the other two pups were killed. He was lucky to have been able to escape." Seto replied.

For several moments it was almost like Atem was frozen as he tried to swallow the information, "Which pups?" Atem finally asked.

Seto's response actually had a bit of a whimper to his tone, "Julian, Mokuba and Noa were the pups. And right now Mokuba's barely hanging on." Seto said.

Atem nodded taking a step forward to lightly bump his snout against Seto's side. "I cannot begin to say how sorry I am for your and Kisara's loss Seto. Mokuba is a strong pup, if anyone can pull through this it would be Mokuba." Atem whispered.

Seto nodded, "Thank you Alpha. Your words mean a lot." Seto said before he turned to make his way back into the clearing with Atem trotting along beside him.

"Have you tried to contact Ishizu? Perhaps she could be of some assistance in caring for Mokuba?" Atem asked.

Seto snorted, "I tried but Ishizu refused to take my call." Seto replied bitterly.

Atem nodded, "Then we will make do with what we have here and we'll just have to trust that Mokuba is strong enough to make it through. Have faith Seto. We will do everything in our power to save your other pup." Atem said.

The pair reentered the clearing and Atem quickly trotted over to his own den before he shifted to dislodge Yami from his back. "Stay. Here." Atem growled.

Yami awkwardly stood beside Atem who transformed briefly to slip off the duffel bag he'd slung over his shoulder which he tossed into the corner, "Atem? What's going on?" Yami asked.

"Seto and Kisara have lost one pup, Noa, and right now the pack is doing everything we can to keep them from losing their second. Rafael and his mate, two Weres I'm not even certain you've met lost their son Julian leaving only their daughter Sophie. Our pack is grieving what has been a great loss. Now I need to go and help Seto and Kisara in anyway that I can. In order for me to do that I NEED you to for once in your goddamned life do as I say and STAY PUT!. It is clearly not safe outside of this clearing and I will not have you getting yourself hurt or worse because you decided you needed to be stubborn." Atem growled.

Yami nodded, "I'll stay. But please, I want to help." Yami said.

"You can help by staying in this den so my attention is not divided between worrying about you and focusing on helping Mokuba win his fight with death." Atem growled before he shifted back and trotted out of the den without even waiting for Yami to reply.

And thus began Yami's waiting game. She sat tensely on the pile of pelts as she waited for someone, anyone really to give her news about Mokuba's condition. She had never met Mokuba but she did know Kisara quite well from all the days she'd spent with the women sewing. Kisara certainly did not deserve to lose one of her children...not that anyone ever deserved such a terrible thing. And not only that she is facing the possibility of losing her second son as well.

A part of Yami wondered why they had not had Mokuba transform and taken him to a real hospital where there were doctors who would be able to do so much more for Mokuba than the pack would be able to do with their no doubt primitive supplies.

Her mind could not help but wonder what had attacked the pups? From what she'd overheard from Seto and Atem's conversation Mokuba had said it was the rogues. _Did he mean the other wolf pack that Atem mentioned shortly before the full moon? The ones that were causing problems on the eastern border of Atem's territory? _Yami wondered. But, if that was true then it really didn't make sense, since and Yami was just guessing, why would three young pups wander all the way to the edge of Atem's massive territory?

So, that left either the frightening conclusion that something else had attacked the pups. That or the other pack was moving further into Atem's territory. Neither of these thoughts provided Yami any comfort. They were both actually truly terrifying to think about.

Yami was drawn from her musings by a different wolf entering Atem's den, dragging what appeared to be part of a deer carcass in his jaws before he dropped it not far from the pile of pelts Yami was still sitting on, fiddling with Atem's pants more to have something to do than anything else.

"Alpha says you need to eat." The wolf relayed.

"Any news on Mokuba? Is he going to be okay?" Yami asked. This waiting game was driving her mad. She just wanted to know that Mokuba was going to be okay.

"Alpha and Beta are still working on the pup. You will be told news once there is news to relay. Now, eat and stay put as Alpha has instructed." The wolf replied before turning and leaving the den just as quickly as he had entered.

Yami sighed as she starred at the deer carcass. How was she supposed to eat something when her stomach was churning with worry while she was worried about Mokuba. Yami went back to fiddling with Atem's pants. She had almost managed to finish reinforcing the one seam that had appeared to be holding itself together based on sheer will and nothing more.

Once Yami was satisfied with the one seam she then turned her attention onto the other horribly abused seam. Out of the corner of Yami's eyes she could see that it appeared that the sun was now beginning to set and there was still no news on Mokuba's condition. Was this a case of no news is good news? Or had Atem just forgotten to have her informed about what was going on? She really hoped it was one of those options and not that they were not having any success with saving Mokuba.

"You haven't eaten? Damn it Yami, you need to eat."

Yami jumped at Atem's unexpected voice. He had apparently slipped into the den when she hadn't been paying attention. "Hows Mokuba?" Yami asked, ignoring what Atem had just said. There were far more important things going on than her missing a meal.

"We have done everything that we can for Mokuba. The rest is up to him." Atem said, his tone grave.

Yami really did not like the way that sounded. She prayed that Mokuba would be strong enough to pull through.

"Now, eat! And once you have finished eating I want you to shift and you will be accompanying myself and the rest of the pack. We'll be leaving shortly, so **eat.**" Atem ordered as he laid down just inside the entrance to the den.

Yami set Atem's pants aside her eyes flicking over to Atem before she glanced back over to the deer carcass. She could eat the deer meat uncooked but it didn't taste nearly as good in her true form than it did in her wolf form. And, well since she needed to shift back anyway she might as well just get it over with.

Yami shifted and this time it wasn't as painful as she was expecting it to be. Don't get her wrong it still hurt but it was starting to hurt less the more she did it, something Yami considered to be progress. Although, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that she was getting somewhat better at shifting.

Yami padded over to the carcass and began to eat. Atem did not join her and instead just continued to watch at Yami ate her meal. Once Yami had eaten her fill she stepped away from the carcass. "Alright, I'm done." Yami said.

Atem nodded before he rose to his feet and turned to head back out of the den. "Follow me and do try to stay close." Atem ordered.

Yami said nothing and just padded out of the den right behind Atem. Yami couldn't help but notice that the entire energy of the pack seemed to have changed.

"Let's go." Atem said before he turned and headed out of the clearing making his way north. Yami followed him and by glancing over her shoulder she was able to see that the remainder of the pack was also following as well.

As one the pack made a slow trek up to the peak of the north mountain. Once Atem had reached the top of the peak he padded over and took a seat, nodding with his head for Yami to take a seat beside him. Next came Seto and Kisara, with Seto taking his place on Atem's other side. Slowly one by one all the Weres from the clearing came and took their spot in the circle.

Once all the Weres had arrived Atem began to speak. Unlike every other time Yami had seen Atem address this pack, this time he was not in the center of the circle. This time his tone wasn't radiating dominance and power. Comparatively the tone was soft and he made his address from his place seated beside Yami.

"It is with a heavy heart the we have gathered here upon this peak. The cruel mistress that is mother nature took from us today two of our most precious. Young Julian was a sweet pup, as sweet as you could ever know. He loved chasing his litter mate Sophie through the meadow, rolling about in the flowers. His favorite prey was butterflies which he would chase for hours on end and still never manage to capture the illusive prey. How many of us had a quiet chuckle at the pup when he finally stopped only for the butterfly to land on the tip of his nose? He also loved tailing after his father, Raphael when he ventured out. Some called the sweet Julian Raphael's tail because of how closely he would follow his father. Julian was only 6 years old." Atem said.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Young Noa was an ambitious pup. The whole pack got quite the laugh when only a few moons ago young Noa approached me and informed me that he would be the next pack Alpha. And that I had better begin preparing myself now for when he's old enough to challenge me. 'I told him to come and see me when he was thirteen and I would be happy to face him'. Noa was a smart pup with a thirst for learning everything that he could about the world around us. He also had quite the adventurous streak which often led both himself and his litter mate, Mokuba, into trouble. Noa loved hunting squirrels and rabbits and would almost daily ask his father, Seto, if he was a good enough hunter yet to join the hunting party. To which Seto would always reply, 'ask me again in a few moons.' Noa was 9 years old." Atem said before pausing once more.

"Both young pups are a heavy loss to this pack. A loss that we all feel most deeply. They were killed by the invading pack of wolves who have been venturing deeper and deeper into our territory. According to young Mokuba they had only gone a couple hundred yards east before they had encountered the invading wolves. The pups didn't even know the wolves were there before Julian had been attacked. His attacker went right for the throat. It is of little comfort but Julian did die quickly. Noa and Mokuba both were attacked. Noa did show great courage and strength that no doubt would have been worthy of an Alpha as he valiantly fought back in order to give his own litter mate an opportunity to escape. Noa's last words, were telling his brother to run and that he would do his best to hold them off. I hope that Noa finds comfort that his actions were able to allow his brother to return to the clearing with his life. Our hearts are with Raphael and Chris. With Sophie. And with Seto and Kisara. And our prayers are with Mokuba that he finds the strength to win his fight to survive." Atem said and Yami could hear the slightest of cracks in Atem's voice before he finally fell silent.

For a moment all was silent in the circle of wolves after Atem had finished speaking. The silence did not last for long because after Atem seemed to gather himself he howled. He didn't really say anything with his howl. It was more a mournful sound. One of pain. One of loss.

One by one the other wolves took their turn to echo Atem's mournful cry to the moon as the pack mourned the loss of two pups who had been taken from their pack far far too young.

Once Atem had stopped howling he slowly rose to his feet. Taking the time to bump his head against Seto and Kisara each before seeking out who Yami guessed were Raphael and Chris. He also bumped his head against the young Sophie. Yami was at a loss for what to do but she did her best to mimic Atem by bumping her own head against Seto and Kisara whispering, "I'm sorry for your loss." as she did so before repeating the process with Raphael and Chris and Sophie before she followed Atem back down from the mountain top and heading back to the clearing.

Atem and Yami silently made their way back to their den and Yami was genuinely shocked to see that Atem shifted back into his human form. Yami for a moment just stood there starring at him before Atem turned and wrapped his arms around her and without her even really noticing was having her shift back. The process was utterly painless and quick leaving Yami standing with Atem's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Atem?" Yami asked softly.

"Hmmm?" Atem replied, his face buried in the crook of Yami's neck.

Yami awkwardly cleared her throat. What was she even supposed to say to him? They had had a massive fight this morning, one of the worst ones they had actually ever had which was culminated by Atem literally forcing her through a excruciating transformation only to return to the clearing and be faced with the deaths of two young innocent pups and a mourning pack.

Did Yami bring up the fight that they had had? Did they finish the fight? Did they talk about it? Or given what had happened did they just ignore it had even happened and just do their best to move on? Yami honestly didn't know.

_Putting off a fight or pretending one didn't happen resolves nothing and just allows the bitterness to fester. _Yami mentally heard her grandfather's voice say. It was something that he had said often when Yami had had an argument with her friend and had walked away without settling things. She'd like to think that his advice was part of the reason she and Mai had been friends for as long as they had. "Do you think we should talk?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed as he tugged Yami over to the pile of pelts, his arms still securely wrapped around Yami. "Talk about what?" Atem asked and Yami thought he sounded absolutely exhausted.

"About the fight from earlier? We had a pretty nasty one. And in the thick of things you were downright cruel." Yami said, doing everything in her power to keep her voice casual and conversational and not remotely confrontational.

Atem was quiet. Yami frowned, "Did you hear me Atem?" Yami asked after Atem had still failed to even respond.

"Yes I heard you Yami. I was just trying to find the words that I needed to say." Atem said.

"I'm listening. And I'm sorry, I understand that you are mourning. I'm upset about the pups and I didn't even know Julian or Noa whereas you've known them their entire lives. But, that being said I'm not going to just lay hear and basically bow to whatever you have to say. I am not going to roll over." Yami growled, "So, you might want to keep that in mind while you are choosing your words."

Atem snorted, "As you say. Now, I will not apologize for dragging you away from your human friend. Nor will I apologize for forcing you to transform. I want to make that perfectly clear." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Of course because if you had apologized that would have required you to admit that you were in the wrong. Something we all know Atem the great and powerful Alpha doesn't know how to do." Yami muttered.

"When I make a mistake I will admit it and I will apologize for it. And I have. However, my mistake was not with you. My mistake was in leaving the clearing to spend so much time in Domino. Perhaps had I still been here the pups would not have chosen to venture out alone." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "No. You don't get to play that game. Noa and Julian are dead. I get it, believe me, I get it. But you don't get to just lay here and try and blame yourself for what happened to them. It isn't your fault. You being here wouldn't have made any difference. So, drop the pity party and lets deal with our fight so we can go to sleep." Yami snapped.

Atem sighed, "And what about your own actions that spurred the fight?" Atem asked.

Yami frowned, "What about them? What precisely did I say or do that was so terrible?" Yami asked.

"You mean other than taking off alone?" Atem asked.

Yami rolled her eyes, "And just as you will not apologize for dragging me away from my friends home with your hand grabbing my arm so tightly you left bruises or for forcing me through a painful transformation I will not apologize for going to talk to my friend. I needed someone who would be able to hear me out and understand my side and since I can't get that here and my grandfather isn't in the country that left my best friend. So no, I will NOT apologize for that." Yami growled.

"Do you not realize how dangerous that was? Not to mention you know that was in direct violation of pack laws. Our laws are not here for you to flout whenever it strikes your fancy and I have been far to lenient with you as it was. What if you and your friend had gotten into another argument and you ended up attacking her like you almost had that night in your room? Do you honestly think I want to be putting you to death because you bit someone because you couldn't control your emotions and lashed out? Do you?" Atem growled.

"The fact remains that I did not lash out at Mai. I was in full control of myself." Yami pointed out.

Atem rolled his eyes, "You got lucky. That isn't a basis for saying you can do what you want. Until you fully come to accept your new reality you WILL NOT be unescorted in the human world. Do you understand that Yami? Because I will NOT tell you again?" Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Fine. I understand what your saying. I won't say that I agree with you because I don't. I think you're being ridiculous but I do understand the words you are saying." Yami replied before saying, "Lets move on. There was more to our fight earlier than me taking off to see Mai. That happened at the end. Why did you change your mind about going to Six Flaggs after we'd made the decision?"

Atem snorted, "I changed my mind when you told me how far away from my pack I would be. I did not feel comfortable being so far away. And it would seem that my instinct to remain close by was more than warranted. My pack needed me." Atem said.

"Yes, I understand that they needed you. But you could have just said that instead of being all confrontational." Yami said.

Atem snorted, "I did state that. I stated that I wanted you to choose an activity that would not take us as far away from your grandfather's home. A statement that you unreasonably took offense to." Atem said.

"Because I don't like that you keep calling it my grandfather's home. Its MY home that I live in with my grandfather." Yami said.

Atem rolled his eyes, "No, your home is the den we are currently lying in. Your grandfather's home may have been your home at one point but it is no longer your home." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "You just don't like the fact that once I get a handle on being a wolf I will be returning to live with my grandfather." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "You will not." Atem said.

Yami quirked a brow, "I beg your pardon? Last I check you fucking me didn't change the fact that once I get a handle on the wolf you don't have the right to dictate where I go. Hell, just yesterday you promised me that once I had gotten full control you would let me travel to Domino as much as I wanted." Yami said.

"And things have changed a great deal since yesterday. As things often do from one day to the next." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "And what the hell kind of garbage is that Atem?" Yami snapped.

"It is a statement of fact. Circumstances often change and circumstances being what they are now means that you will never be moving back in with your grandfather. By all means once you have control you will of course be permitted to visit but you will always reside with me here in the woods. This is now where you truly belong." Atem said.

"In YOUR opinion this is where I belong. I however have a very different opinion on the matter than you. My place is with my family and that is exactly where I intend to be." Yami growled.

"Exactly. As I said you will be staying here with me." Atem stated.

"You fucking me doesn't make us family Atem." Yami snapped.

"You being my mate DOES in fact make you and I family Yami. And what of our pups? Do you not consider them to be your family?" Atem asked.

Yami frowned, "What the hell are you even talking about?" Yami asked. _Pups? Where the hell did pups come from? _Yami wondered.

Atem sighed, "I guess there is no simple way to say this." Atem said.

"No simple way to say WHAT Atem?" Yami asked. Her mind refused to accept the possibility that deep down she knew what Atem was trying to tell her.

Atem sighed once more before he slowly released his grip from around Yami, allowing him to sit up and look her square in the eye. "This morning when I woke up in bed with you I noticed that there had been a slight change in your scent. Normally you smell like freshwater and lavender but this morning I was picking up another scent. It was subtle but definitely new. I think, the more that I smell it, that its cornflower." Atem said.

"And? Whats the big deal about you picking out another flower that I apparently smell like? Perhaps its been there all along and you just haven't noticed it." Yami said.

Atem snorted, "Trust me if the scent had been there before today I most certainly would have noticed it. The scent is new. And the reason that your scent has changed is because you are carrying my pups. I did tell you when we were up on the mountain the morning after the full moon that if you were carrying my pups I would be able to smell it on you in a few days. Now I can." Atem said flatly.

For a moment Yami was silent as her mind raced. She was pregnant. PREGNANT at sixteen fucking years old she was apparently pregnant. Oh why why why do these things keep happening to her? Why can't her life ever just be simple for once? First she gets attacked by a werewolf while taking out the fucking trash and then she had to move into the fucking woods. And then on the night of the full moon she ended up mated to Atem. And now to top off everything else that has been just fucking wonderful Atem is now telling her that she's pregnant.

"Are you sure?" Yami asked. A part of her was truly hoping that Atem would tell her that he was joking but the more she thought about how he'd been acting lately she wasn't so sure. There was this morning where he insisted on joining her in the shower yet made no effort to try anything. His insistence that she eat despite everything else he was dealing with with Mokuba and the pack he still made a point to have a meal brought to her.

"I am positive. There is no doubt that you are carrying my pups." Atem said.

"Is that why you had initially changed your mind and decided to extend our stay in Domino for another day?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "I had thought that it would have been for the best for me to explain this development to you where you were most comfortable and as much as it pains me to admit you are much more comfortable in the human world than in our own. Something I still hope will change over time." Atem said.

"And how long are werewolves even pregnant for?" Yami asked. She honestly didn't know.

"Weres carry for 120 days which means in a little less than four months you will be birthing our first litter." Atem said.

Yami swallowed thickly. That was hardly any time at all! If Atem was to be believed that would mean that by the beginning of October she would be having puppies.

"And how many...pups...are there in a litter?" Yami asked slowly. She did her best to ignore Atem's statement that this would be her FIRST litter, not at all subtly implying that she would be having more than one. Given as often as they had had sex she couldn't really argue against the possibility no matter how much she might have wanted to.

"On average between 2 and 4 pups but litters as large as 6 or more are possible." Atem said.

Yami swallowed thickly, "So, at the very least I'm having...twins." Yami said slowly her hand coming to rest lightly on her still flat stomach. How long would it be before she started to show? Would she show at all? Was birth difficult for Weres? Was she going to have to do this on her own or would Atem allow her to see a doctor?

Atem shrugged, "I guess you could say that, yes." Atem said.

Yami took another deep breath, her hand still resting on her stomach. She was drawn from her racing thoughts by Atem's own hand coming to rest on top of hers. "I for one could not be happier that we are having pups Yami. And I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you and our children safe." Atem whispered.

And despite her racing mind Yami could not help the small smile that crept up on her face in response to Atem's declaration. Atem could be a downright ass at times but one thing that Yami could not contest was that he was more than capable of protecting his family.

"I know you will." Yami whispered.

Atem nodded once more before he removed his hand from atop Yami's and once more slipped his arms around Yami's body, turning her so that her back was pressed against Atem's chest. His hands once more finding her stomach where he rested his palm. "Enough of this heavy talk for tonight my beloved mate. We will finish discussing the matter tomorrow once you have had the chance to digest the information and think of your questions." Atem whispered.

Yami sighed, "Fine." She replied as she allowed her body to begin to relax against Atem's in the pile of pelts.

Atem did have a point, a lot had happened today and perhaps finishing their conversation would be best left for morning.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: A Caution Step Forward

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami woke up the following morning incredibly early, the den was still dark and she could still feel the early morning chill. On the one hand Yami was still incredibly proud that she had even managed to fall asleep the night before with the way her mind had been absolutely churning. Pregnant. Atem had informed her that she was pregnant.

Yami sighed as she attempted to shift out of Atem's powerful grasp. She needed to think.

"Where do you think you're going?" Atem's sleepy voice whispered as he tightened his grip around Yami's torso. The motion was one that actual made Yami feel safe and it actually warmed something deep inside her. But Yami pushed that thought to the side. Figuring out the whole pregnant thing was a lot higher up on Yami's list of priorities than dealing with her complicated relationship with Atem.

"Outside to clear my head." Yami replied as she attempted to wiggle out of Atem's grasp again, not being nearly as gentle about it now that he was already awake.

"Not alone you won't be." Atem declared.

"Then maybe I can wake up Mana and have Mana come with me. Or Serenity." Yami argued she was glad that she'd had enough sense to not mention Kisara as a possibility.

Atem snorted, "No, you will not. If you are going to insist on wandering around while you 'clear your head' then I will be accompanying you. Either that or you will be remaining in this den." Atem replied.

Yami harshly drove her able back, nailing Atem in the chest making him grunt although his grip didn't loosen a single iota, "Don't be a dick Atem! Even YOU recognize that there is a lot of stuff that I'm trying to work out. And you being glued to my side will most definitely NOT be helpful with that." Yami growled.

"And you wandering around on your own is going to help you come to some sort of conclusion? Really? That makes no sense. Why not choose to stay where you can get all of your questions answered? As your mate I am here to help and support you. I WANT to help and support you." Atem said.

Yami groaned in pure frustration, "But Atem, that is the whole fucking point! How the hell am I expected to figure out how I feel about this whole mess when I'm expected to stay face to face with the fucking beast that dragged me into this whole fucking mess." Yami said.

Yami suddenly found herself lying on her back, pinned beneath Atem's body starring straight into glaring red eyes, "It might behoove you to remember that **I **am not the dead wolf that bit you my dear. The wolf who dragged you into this whole mess is dead. I ripped his throat out myself and you watched me do it. Do not blame the actions of that dead wolf on me." Atem growled.

Yami snarled right back at Atem, "No, you may not have bitten me. You are absolutely fucking right that whole mess can and should be laid at Duke's feet. I'm not blaming **that** on you. But every other fucking thing after IS your damn fault. The fact that we are mates is your fault. The fact that I'm now apparently pregnant is most certainly YOUR FAULT! So, yes you are the one who has dragged me into this whole damn mess." Yami spat.

"And the fact that you are still refusing to recognize your own role in those outcomes is really beginning to get on my nerves Yami. YOU were the one who began to challenge me. You were the one who was flirting with me. **YOU **were the one who when the full moon rose decided that YOU wanted to mate with me. YOU were the one who dared me to mount you. Not one time have you refused to mate with me. Every single time we engage in the act of mating you are a willing not to mention active participant. So, do not blame this on me as if I have done something wrong because I have not." Atem growled.

Yami opened her mouth to reply as she could feel anger coursing through her veins as she did her best to rise up and challenge Atem. But, she couldn't think of a single thing to say. Atem was...right. She may not have fully realized that she had been flirting with Atem, but that doesn't change the fact that she had been. And as Atem pointed out up on the North Mountain, with the way Kisara had been laughing at her it really wouldn't have taken a lot to ask 'what's so funny?' And deep down she had to have known about the whole thing with Alpha's pants because she'd even blushed when he'd finally given them to her.

So, with that in mind could she really blame Atem? Especially when he himself defines himself as an animal for not exercising restraint during the full moon? It wasn't like he'd gotten her drunk. Or drugged her. Not really. When Yami really thought about it she could remember what had happened, maybe not every detail, no. But she remembered running through the meadow. She remembered the thrill that she'd experienced. The sense of utter and complete freedom she got from running beneath the moon.

She remembered playfully challenging Atem to the game of chase. And she loved it. She enjoyed it. She remembered casually calling Atem 'mate' when he'd caught her and cockily daring him to make her his. She remembered all of it. Every last detail.

And no matter how much she might have wanted to paint herself as a helpless victim when it came to Atem she couldn't. Because she wasn't. Nor was she being used by Atem. He again had a point he hadn't forced her into anything. And every single time they had been together she had participated. She might have questioned why she was participating. Questioned why she even wanted to be with Atem. But, the one unquestionable fact that she had been faced with again and again and again was that at the end of the day she had WANTED Atem.

She should have told Mai that the answer to her question on whether or not Atem had raped her as an absolute and unquestionable NO. Because, he hadn't. It really wasn't complicated. Different yes, there was no doubt that relationships with Weres were a lot different normal relationships were. But, on the surface it wasn't necessarily complicated. And the only reason it was 'complicated' at all was because Yami herself had insisted on making it complicated.

"You're right." Yami whispered, "You're absolutely right. You didn't force me into anything. I am the one who made the choice to mate with you. I may not have fully understood that choice but I still made it. And I'm sorry Atem, I'm sorry I accused you otherwise." Yami said.

Atem actually seemed frozen as for several seconds he seemed to just continue to lay on top of Yami, almost gaping at her. It was actually kind of funny. _Who'd have ever thought I would leave the mighty Alpha speechless? _Yami mused. Yami snorted. "What, I finally admit that you were right and you have nothing to say?" Yami teased.

Atem snorted before Yami saw a genuine smile appear on Atem's face. "Are you saying that you have finally accepted?" Atem asked.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I never said that I was necessarily OKAY with the choice I made. I never said I was HAPPY with the choice I made. All I did was admit that it was a choice that I had made. And, well as my grandfather used to remind me. Actions have consequences. I chose to mate with you. So, now we're married with children on the way." Yami said matter of factly.

Atem rolled his eyes, "Would it kill you to not be argumentative for the sake of it?" Atem asked.

Yami shrugged, "I don't know. Would it kill you to not be a bossy, overprotective dictator?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted before he leaned down, his tongue flicking out to lick the tip of Yami's nose. Yami frowned, "Atem, I get that wolves lick and its just fine. But when your in your human form it is no longer cute or whatever. Its just plain gross." Yami muttered.

Atem snorted once more, his eyes shining with mirth, before he flicked his tongue out once again this time licking Yami's cheek.

"Dick!" Yami growled although there was no anger in her tone. Atem was playing with her and she knew it.

Atem just shook his head, leaning down to lightly brush his nose against Yami's. She had no idea why such a tender, simple gesture made her blush. But it did. "I'll stop licking you beloved if you agree to take back that I am an overprotective dictator." Atem teased.

Yami laughed, "I'm sorry Atem, but I can't do that. For you see my grandfather instilled me with a deep revulsion for lying. I cannot take back a statement that is one hundred percent the truth." Yami replied.

"Oh, and what would your grandfather have to say about your whole 'I'm going to the bathroom' in order to get me to not follow you?" Atem cheekily shot back.

Yami grinned, "Necessary dishonesty needed in order to escape from an enemy encampment and return home." Yami declared.

"Enemy encampment? Really Yami?" Atem groaned, the mirth momentarily vanishing form Atem's eyes.

Yami sighed. She had just been joking around. She truly hadn't meant to hurt Atem's feelings. Yami sighed before she leaned up and allowed her own tongue to flick out, licking up Atem's chin to stopping once she'd brushed across his lips.

Atem snorted, "I thought you said that licking someone while you are in human form was disgusting?" Atem pointed out.

"I did. And it is. Not my fault that you seem to be corrupting me. And turning me more and more into an animal like you every single day." Yami replied.

Atem snorted once more but said nothing. Yami sighed before she leaned up once again, although this time instead of licking Atem she kissed him. And kissed him and kissed him. Atem for his part allowed Yami to have complete control of the kiss for all of 5 seconds Yami noted before Atem was once more in control as he kissed her.

Atem's hands slipped up under Yami's tank top and began to slide it up, taking their time to slide along Yami's sides as he dragged the shirt up. Atem broke the kiss briefly in order to pull Yami's tank top off and throw it to the side before he dove back in, this tip his lips attaching themselves to her throat as his hands toyed with her breasts.

Yami's own hands had also been worming their way up under Atem's shirt before she grabbed the bottom of the shirt and pulled it up as far as she could manage before Atem briefly paused in his assault on her throat allowing Yami to remove his shirt. Yami's hand buried itself in Atem's hair as he finally finished with her throat before he moved his attention down to her breasts his hands firmly gripping Yami's hips, his thumbs already pushed inside her shorts. Her other hand had slipped down to grab a hold of Atem's ass, almost like she was trying to push Atem closer to her.

She could feel as Atem's hands slowly, yet purposely slipped around her body before he found the front of Yami's shorts and unfastened them. And it was just as Atem was doing that that Yami truly had a spark of what she called insanity and she managed to buck Atem off her.

Atem quirked a brow as he slowly sat up, "If you didn't like it you could have just told me to stop. I would have honored your wishes." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes before she sat up and pulled off her own shorts leaving herself nude. "That wasn't why I knocked you off me Atem. Now. Strip!" Yami growled.

Atem snorted but he did do as Yami had ordered and removed the board shorts he'd been wearing. "I've stripped. Now, can we continue with what we were doing before you knocked me away?" Atem asked.

Yami flushed before she slowly crawled over to Atem and placed both of her hands firmly on Atem's powerful shoulders and shoved him onto the pelts as hard as she could so that Atem was lying beneath her. "You know Atem, in the civilized world humans _mate _in many different ways. Maybe I want to try and change things up a bit." Yami said.

"Oh, and just what did you have in mind my playful mate?" Atem asked. Yami could feel that Atem's body had tensed up beneath her own. No doubt there was not a single fiber in Atem's being that was okay with being on his own back. But, to Atem's credit he had not yet pushed her away. Yami was slowly beginning to come to understand how significant that a gesture like that was from someone of Atem's position. Alphas were never the one's who were on their backs. That's part of what made them the Alphas.

"Well," Yami said before she turned her own attention onto Atem's throat. Kissing and nipping along the muscular column before lightly sinking her teeth into Atem's collar bone as she roughly kissed the spot making Atem groan beneath her his hands resting on her own hips. She could feel his body no doubt subconsciously shifting beneath her. It wouldn't take much at all for him to reverse their positions once more. But, he still hadn't.

Yami pulled away once she was satisfied with the mark she had left on Atem's throat, her hand lighlty tracing down Atem's pecks, briefly brushing over Atem's own nipples. Atem grunted and Yami felt how he squeezed her own ass.

Yami chuckled before she shifted into a more seated position so that Atem's own erect penis was positioned beneath her. "I thought it might be fun if we tried it where I was on top for a change." Yami said before she pushed her body down as she slowly pushed Atem inside of her only coming to a stop once Atem was completely buried inside of her.

Yami groaned at the sensation of being filled. No matter how many times they had done it she still had not fully gotten used to the sensation of feeling Atem's member inside her body. Of feeling him touching her so deep inside her. Every time Atem so much as shifted she could feel different jolts of pleasure coursing through her.

Yami carefully braced on her knees which were resting on the pelts on either side of Atem's hips before she slowly pushed up and off of Atem so that only the tip of his member remained just inside her before she quickly slammed her body down once again completely engulfing him once more.

"Ahh." Yami moaned.

Atem groaned from beneath her, his hands gripping her hips so hard that it was no doubt going to leave some bruises.

Yami paused for only a few moments before repeating the motion again. And again, each time pausing that little bit less as she attempted to find some sort of rhythm as the two moved together. Because Atem was moving too. Once he'd seem to fully understand what it was Yami was trying to do he had begun to move with her. As she would go to push back down Atem would thrust up a the same time creating that much more force as they moved. And causing a powerful pleasurable sensation with every thrust.

"I'm getting close." Yami groaned. And god was she.

Atem chuckled, "Perhaps you have had enough of torturing us both my dear." Atem said.

Yami locked eyes with Atem's amused, lust filled ruby ones. "Oh, and are you saying you aren't enjoying this?" Yami asked breathlessly.

"On the contrary beloved. I am enjoying this very much. What I am saying is that perhaps you have gotten enough of torturing us both and you would permit me to finish this." Atem replied as he thrust up against Yami again making her once more see stars.

"Fine Atem." Yami consented as she felt another powerful thrust connect that one spot within her that left her utterly and completely breathless. "Oh god." Yami moaned.

Atem smirked before in one single swift motion Yami found herself flat on her back, her legs wrapped tightly around Atem's waste as he began a relentless pace that left Yami utterly and completely breathless as Atem reasserted control. It took him less than a minute to bring them both to their ends. With Yami screaming his name, no doubt loud enough for the entire pack to hear her.

Atem for his part grunted Yami's own name, his voice deep and gravely and the sound of Atem growling out her name as he spilled his seed into her body was a new experience for Yami, since never before had Atem vocalized his release. Normally he chose to bite her instead.

Once the two had finally come down from their highs Atem leaned down and kissed Yami. The kiss was light and oh so tender. The kind of kiss that Yami remembered reading about in romance novels the kind where it was so sweet and so full of love.

Yami blushed as the kiss broke. She honestly didn't know what to think about the way Atem had kissed her. It was without a doubt the first time he had ever kissed her _like that_. As if she didn't have enough stuff to be trying to figure out now she was going to be obsessing over interpreting that kiss and if it meant anything at all.

It certainly didn't mean what it did when it was described in books because one thing Yami did know with absolute certainty was that Atem did not love her. Yami mentally frowned, she had no idea why recognizing that fact, that simple fact that she knew had to be true in her mind hurt for some reason.

Atem lightly brushed his nose against Yami's as he settled down on top of her. Yami rolled her eyes, of course. How could she forget. They had to lay like this for an hour at least before Atem would finally get off of her.

"Do you have any questions about what we discussed last night?" Atem asked suddenly.

Yami sighed. Did she have questions? Probably. Although she knew better than to voice the question that seemed be right on the tip of her tongue _why did you kiss me like that_? She knew Atem was talking about the fact she was pregnant with puppies. Logically speaking she really should have questions about that.

"How many pups could I have? You said I would have a least 2. But, how many is it possible to have?" Yami asked as she forced the kiss to the back of her mind to try and focus on the conversation she was having right now unless she wanted to make an utter and complete fool of herself and blurt it out.

Atem paused for a moment, frowning slightly as he contemplated the answer. "As I told you last night litters of puppies have at least two pups in them, although litters of up to six are common. The largest litter I ever can recall even being mentioned was a litter of twelve pups. But, that was by a Were in a different pack. I don't know for certain if that is even true or not." Atem replied.

Suddenly pushing the kiss to the back of her mind wasn't so difficult. The realization that she could possibly give birth to up to twelve. TWELVE freaking children. Talk about terrifying. Utterly and completely terrifying.

"Twelve? Are you serious? Please tell me your joking." Yami said, her voice coming out almost as a whimper.

Atem shook his head, "No, I'm not joking beloved. But large litters like that are not common. My mother's own largest litter had nine pups and her other litters were all smaller than that." Atem said.

Yami groaned, "You know, if you are trying to reassure me Atem, you really are not helping. Telling me that large litters like that are uncommon to only then follow that statement by pointing out your own mother had a litter of NINE!." Yami muttered.

Atem shrugged, "You asked. But, don't worry about it Yami. You will be fine. Trust me, I'll make absolutely certain of it." Atem vowed.

Yami snorted, "Oh, and is the part where you suddenly reveal that you are a trained Obstetrician." Yami grunted.

Atem frowned, "An Obste-what?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed, "You know, an Obstetrician. A doctor who takes care of a woman during pregnancy and delivers her baby." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "I have no idea what you are talking about. Weres don't use whatever those are." Atem said.

Yami suddenly felt the beginning of true panic grip her at her very core, "Wait, are you saying that there won't be a doctor here to help me? That I'm going to have to deliver an unknown number of puppies by myself?" Yami sputtered.

Atem gave Yami another one of those weird tender smiles of his, "I assure you that despite the fact that you will not have a human doctor here to aide you during the birth of our pups you will not be alone. I will be right there by your side. And together my mate we will get through this." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "And isn't that dangerous? Have you never heard of people dying while giving birth because it does happen Atem." Yami growled.

"Shhhh," Atem soothed as he pulled Yami closer to him, nuzzling her face with his own. To Yami's embarrassment she didn't even realize that she had started crying. "I could tell you that I have never heard of a female Were die while giving birth to pups. But, I get the feeling that would not reassure you." Atem whispered.

"You're right. It won't." Yami whispered back.

"And yes, I may not be an obewhatever. But, I will be by your side and you have my word Yami. We will get through this together. I will not let you die. That is a promise. A promise as both your mate and your Alpha. You WILL get through this alive." Atem whispered.

And as Atem has done several times before despite it not making one once of logical sense his words and actions seemed to have a way of managing to calm Yami down. Because deep down she trusted that Atem would keep his word and that he would, somehow...although _how precisely_ she was more than a little foggy on...he would get all of them through this.

Yami was actually disappointed when the time finally came for her and Atem to part. But Yami would not voice that disappointment aloud and as soon as Atem climbed off of her she immediately went over to the duffel bag and pulled out a fresh set of clothes for her to wear. Although, first she was going to go down to the creek and get herself cleaned up because Were or not she was not going to walk around the clearing all day smelling like her and Atem had fucked.

"Alpha?"

Yami jumped at the unexpected question before she dove quickly under the pile of pelts.

"Wait outside for a moment. We're in human form and my mate still needs to dress." Atem growled.

"Of course Alpha. I will wait until you are ready." The wolf replied, Yami honesty had no idea who it even was that was outside.

"It's alright Yami. No one is going to walk into our den without first announcing themselves. They would face me in combat if they had." Atem stated.

Yami peeked out from her hiding spot in amongst the pelts before she reached out and grabbed for her dirty tank top. No way was she putting on clean clothes without bathing first but she also wasn't shifting or walking to the creek in the nude.

"I'm going to go and take a bath in the creek." Yami said.

Atem sighed. "Can you perhaps wait until I find out what it is that Marik wanted to discuss with me before you leave? If its possible I would like to accompany you to the creek and back into the clearing." Atem said.

Yami shrugged."I guess that would be fine." Yami replied.

"Good, wait here. I will be right back." Atem said as he tugged back on his pair of deerhide pants that he always wore before shifting and trotting out of the den to talk to Marik. Yami sat somewhat patiently on the pelts while she waited for Atem to return.

Atem, thankfully, did not make Yami wait for too long before he came trotting back inside, "Marik wanted to know if I was ready to head out or if I had needed more time. So, once you are finished taking your bath in the creek I will be leaving. I probably will not be back until almost sundown. I need to go and try and deal, peacefully if possible, with the invading wolf pack from the East." Atem said.

"If possible?" Yami asked as she headed out of the den, with Atem trotting in wolf form beside her.

"Yes. If we cannot resolve the matter peacefully then we will use force. A lack of prey in their own territory does not justify them invading my own territory and killing two of our pups. No, if they will not listen to reason then we will make them listen." Atem growled.

"You'll be careful though, won't you?" Yami asked.

Atem lightly bumped his head against Yami's side, "You worry too much my mate. I assure you, I am not a helpless pup. If the wolves that we are dealing with won't listen to reason then they will come to see that I am more than capable of defending my own territory. Between myself, Marik, Akefia and Malik we should be more than able to deal with any threat from the other pack." Atem explained.

Yami frowned as they came to a stop beside the creek before she stripped out of her clothes and slipped into the crisp water. "You aren't taking Seto with you?" Yami asked.

"No, I am not. For two reasons. The first reason is that in his current mindset I honestly don't know that Seto could deal with the other pack peacefully. And secondly, I need someone to be in charge while I am away for so long." Atem explained.

Yami sighed as she turned her attention onto getting herself clean. She had been bathing for a few minutes before she thought to ask what was probably a ridiculous question. "Shouldn't I be the one whose in charge while your away?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted, "Once you are more adjusted no doubt you will be the female who is in charge of the pack even while I am present. There are things that you will deal with that are not my responsibility to oversee. Kisara has filled this role to varying degrees. Perhaps after a few more moons you'll be adjusted enough that we can go over everything that you need to be overseeing yourself. Come winter it is my hope that you will be able to fully take over as the Alpha female of this pack."

"But even so, I'd never be the one in charge of the pack?" Yami inquired.

Atem sighed, "Had we not been dealing with a known threat and you were fully adjusted I would feel comfortable leaving the pack under your watchful eyes while I took Seto with me if I was only going to be gone for a day or so. Given our current situation and your own lack of adjustment I cannot leave any one else in charge while I am away. This is in no way a slight against you." Atem said.

"No. No, Atem I get it. To be perfectly honest I wouldn't have the first idea of how to go about looking after the pack." Yami said.

"Perhaps after the next full moon I will start to include you in more of my own role as well as explain your own responsibilities to you." Atem said.

Yami smiled before she climbed out of the creek, "I'd like that Atem. I really would." Yami said before she quickly dried off and pulled on her clean clothes.

Atem snorted but said nothing more before he rose to his feet and once again trotted back to the clearing at Yami's side. "I'm not going to confine you to the den while I am gone, however under no circumstances do I want you leaving the clearing. Yesterday more than anything highlighted how dangerous living as we do can be. Feel free to do some sewing with the ladies or to visit with Kisara. I will see you when I get back." Atem replied before leaning back on his hind legs so he was practically standing his front paws unexpectedly landing on Yami's shoulders.

Yami quirked a brow, "And just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted once more before his tongue flicked out a few times licking Yami's face. "Kissing my mate good-bye of course. And since I've returned to my true form you can't even complain about it." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "And you couldn't have possibly shifted for three seconds you ass?" Yami inquired doing her absolute best to ignore the fact she could feel her cheeks heating at the gesture.

"No time for that." Atem replied before he slipped back onto the ground before bounding through the clearing, momentarily joined by three other wolves before heading out towards the Eastern boundary.

Yami headed briefly into the den to toss her dirty clothes in a pile of stuff that she was eventually going to have wash...somehow before she grabbed Atem's pants and slung them over her shoulder and headed back out into the clearing.

It was still mid morning yet it appeared that Serenity and Mana were already all set up and had begun their own day of sewing.

"Morning." Yami greeted before she took a seat beside the pair.

"Good morning." Serenity greeted.

Mana smiled, although the smile was a strained one no doubt brought on by the member of their little sewing group that was clearly missing. "We haven't seen you in a few days. Where did you and Alpha disappear off to?" Mana asked.

Yami snorted, "Atem and I spent some time together in Domino." Yami said, her cheeks once again blushing. She really needed to stop getting so embarrassed when it came to discussing her and Atem's...mating.

Serentiy smiled, "That must have been nice. Did you have a good time?" Serenity asked.

Mana snorted, "Forget having a good time. What I want to know is how you managed to convince my brother to set a single foot in Domino City? When he was a pup he swore that he would never, willingly, wander into Domino City in his weak human skin. So, what's your secret?" Mana asked.

Yami couldn't help but laugh, "Believe it or not it was actually his idea that we go. I most certainly wasn't going to say no." Yami said.

Mana proved that she could do an excellent impression of a fish, she just sat next to Yami openly gaping at her as she seemed to struggle to find some words. Yami laughed harder. Serenity even giggled.

All three were caught off guard as Kisara plopped down on the ground beside Mana, sticking her with a needle as she did. "Ow! What was that for?" Mana shouted as she rubbed at her sore thigh.

"You were gaping like a fish and I didn't want you swallowing another wasp so I figured it would be a good idea to snap you out of whatever you were shocked by." Kisara replied. All three women could clearly hear the false cheer Kisara had put into her tone.

Mana pouted, "We were only pups and I believe it was your idiot mate who had dared me to keep my mouth open to see if I could get a wasp to fly in." Mana grumbled.

Kisara just shook her head fondly before she turned her attention onto some new pieces of fabric before grabbing some grey material and beginning to measure out fabric using her arm to measure.

Yami watched Kisara work in amazement she was the only one Yami had ever seen make clothes from scratch, everyone else typically worked on repairing clothes that had already been made. "Is it hard, making clothes from scratch?" Yami asked.

Kisara shrugged, "I suppose it was difficult at first but with practice you can get good at it. I've been doing it for awhile now. I started making them for Seto because he dealt a lot more with the human world than anyone else really did so he needed to have clothes that would allow him to fit in. And then, well with Mokuba and Noa..." Kisara trailed off as her voice cracked before she cleared it, "It was a skill that I needed so I worked very hard at it." Kisara finished.

Yami bit her lip before she awkwardly set Atem's pants aside. This was probably an outright terrible idea but Yami decided to just plow right in before she chickened out. "Maybe, you could teach me since I really need to learn now." Yami said slowly.

"Planning on getting Alpha to spend even more time in his human form are you?" Mana inquired which had Yami rolling her own eyes before she poked Mana with the needle.

"No, well...maybe, but I bought him enough clothes that he should be good for awhile. But, that's not what I meant." Yami said.

"Then what did you mean?" Kisara inquired.

Yami bit her lip before she blurted out, "Last night Atem told me that we're going to have puppies. So, I should probably..." Yami trailed off with a shrug, her eyes drifted down to her lap. That was probably the absolute dumbest thing that she had ever...

"Your having pups! That's wonderful news!" Kisara squealed.

"Congratulations." Serenity said.

Mana actually threw her arms around Yami's shoulders hugging her. "That's amazing. I'm so happy for you both." Mana practically sang.

Yami blushed, "I know that I probably shouldn't have said anything...given..." Yami trailed off awkwardly.

Kisara rolled her eyes, "And I thank you for the consideration. Truly I do, but this is happy news. And to be honest, after yesterday this pack could use some happy news." Kisara said before she turned her attention onto the other two, "Well, I don't know about you but I think us four will have our work cut out for us. There is a lot of stuff we'll need to get ready for the new pups." Kisara said.

Mana grinned, "I can't wait to see them. They'll be so tiny." Mana cooed.

Serenity nodded, "And they'll be coming just before the winter. We'll have to make sure there is plenty of things to keep them warm." Serenity said.

Kisara nodded before she started digging through the different fabrics, "We should probably start with making some blankets. There is no such thing as too many blankets." Kisara said before she started shoving fabrics in Yami's direction, "Pick out what you'd like so together we can get started."

Mana nodded, "That's right. You'll come to find out that we are a tight knit community. You aren't going to have to do this on your own. We're all here to help you." Mana said.

Yami nodded, "Well, okay then. Let's get sewing." Yami declared as she grabbed some nice soft blue fabric out of the pile.

XXXXXXXX

Atem and the other Weres quickly made their way towards the Eastern boundary. Atem came to a stop, puzzled when they had made it all the way to the base of the Eastern Mountain and there hadn't been a single wolf sighting.

The last time he and Seto had been out they'd had no difficultly tracking down the invading wolves. Hell, they'd practically stumbled on them and the other wolves had made it plain that they had no reason to hide. Claiming they'd had as much right if not more so to the woods than the Weres had.

"Fan out. They should be around here somewhere. Howl when you find them." Atem ordered before he began to bound up the Eastern Mountain. It didn't take him long to reach the peak and Atem glanced around to see if he could catch a glimpse of a hunting wolf pack in the open meadow not far from the waterfall which made up a portion of the rive which passed over the Eastern Mountain.

From his perch Atem could clearly make out a couple of doe that were picking their way through the meadow and over towards the river to get a drink. There weren't any wolves that he was able to see.

"ANY LUCK?" Atem howled.

"NO ALPHA!" Marik howled back.

"NO LUCK WITH ME EITHER ALPHA!" Malik howled.

Atem waited for several moments for Akefia to reply. When he didn't Atem howled again, "AKEFIA! ANY LUCK?!" And again Atem waited for Akefia to reply. This time however Akefia did not leave him waiting for long.

"ALPHA YOU NEED TO COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!" Akefia howled.

"ON MY WAY!" Atem howled back before he quickly began to descend the mountain, Malik and Marik were waiting for him at the base of the mountain and they silently fell into step beside him before heading to the south where Akefia had been looking.

It didn't take the trio long to reach Akefia. "What is it? What did you find?" Atem asked.

"This way Alpha." Akefia barked before he turned and ran back into the woods with Atem and the others hot on his heals before he suddenly skidded to a stop. Not far past the river there was a dead animal. And it looked like a dead Were.

Atem frowned as he trotted closer to the dead animal and briefly sniffing him. "This kill is still fresh. Probably was killed right around night fall." Atem said.

"But what killed it Alpha?" Malik asked.

Atem nudged the dead Were with his snout, turning the corpse onto its back revealing that the animal had been completely eviscerated.

"Do you think it was a hunting accident?" Marik asked as he came to stand beside Atem.

Atem shook his head, "No. For starters what was this Were even doing in our territory? It isn't one of ours and the other territory is 60 miles from here."

"That's not the only thing I wanted you to see Alpha." Akefia said.

Atem turned to where Akefia was looking a blood covered hunting knife on the ground. Atem frowned, "There was a human here? A human who encountered and killed a Were." Atem said before he turned his attention onto sniffing the ground before he felt that the situation was worse than he had thought. There were three different blood scents in this area. The dead Were. Another Were which took off to the North, injured. And a human who left the fight bloody and heading to the South towards Domino City.

"What do you want us to do Alpha?" Malik asked.

Atem straightened up, "For now I want you and Marik to head back to the clearing. Have Seto get in contact with Ishizu. Tell her to be on the look out because there might be another human that was bitten by a Were, assuming the human didn't drown while attempting to cross the river while wounded. Akefia you and me are going to venture into the Wolf pack terrority to the East of our, see if we can find out what exactly happened that had them clearing off." Atem said.

"Do you want me to tell Seto about the Weres?" Malik asked.

Atem nodded, "Yes. Its for the best that Seto has all the information at his disposal. I also want the pack on high alert. No one and I mean no one is leaving the clearing alone until we figure out what the hell is going on here." Atem growled.

"And, what about the human Alpha?" Marik asked.

Atem snorted, "What about him? They are more than likely dead somewhere in this forest. Yes, that might be a problem and people might come looking. Or they survived and were bitten. We don't know. And unless Ishizu calls us we are going to just assume they are dead. I'm more concerned about the wounded Were that's in our territory." Atem said.

"Right." Malik replied before he and Marik took off heading back towards the clearing whereas Atem and Akefia headed east to find the wolf pack that had invaded their territory.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Atem and the Bear

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami and the other ladies had been making pretty good progress on the first baby blanket. It was nice and soft and it would no doubt be able to help keep the children warm in the winter.

"How long will the pups be well, puppies?" Yami asked.

Kisara sighed, "I guess you could say that it depends on the pups. There are those that get curious and can shift as early as a few months old. And then there are stubborn ones like your mate who refused to change at all until he was what, 5 or so Mana?" Kisara said.

Mana snorted, "My stubborn litter mate of a brother refused to transform until he was six years old. My father actual told him that he needed to transform or he'd force him to and that he wasn't allowed to change back for two whole weeks." Mana replied.

Yami sighed, "Any idea why some transform earlier than others?" Yami asked.

Kisara shrugged, "I would guess it would depend on their parents to varying degrees. If they keep seeing their mother or father in human form then they themselves will shift so they can be like mom and dad." Kisara said.

Mana bit her lip, "And not to be tell you what to do or anything Yami, but once you have the pups you will probably have to stay in your wolf form more than you are used to. The pups will be relying on you for warmth and they'll also have to milk from you. Which, if you have more than two would be very difficult in human form." Mana said.

Yami sighed once more, "Yeah. I had a feeling it was going to be something like that. As awkward as that'll no doubt be." Yami said.

Kisara shrugged, "It really isn't that awkward at all. Instinctively you'll know what to do and so will the pups." Kisara explained.

Yami nodded, "I hope so. I really do." Yami said.

Kisara lightly knocked her shoulder against Yami's, "I'm sure you will. And if you need any help I will be more than happy to help you." Kisara said.

Yami smiled, "Thank you. That, that really means a lot that you're willing to help me." Yami said.

"Hey! We're happy to help to! Aren't we Serenity?" Mana piped up.

Serenity nodded, "Yes we are, although unlike Kisara neither of us have ever had any pups." Serenity said.

Mana pouted, "Yeah, talk about lucky. Malik and I really want to have pups but we can never manage it." Mana said.

Kisara snorted, "You do know that Alpha and his mate will do the vast majority of the reproducing for our pack. Yami'll probably have four large litters before either you have a single small one with either of your mates." Kisara replied.

Yami coughed, "Oh, I don't know about that." Yami muttered. She had barely begun to get her head wrapped around having a litter of puppies. She wasn't even going to begin to try and think about having more than one litter. Maybe a few years from now when she was older her and Atem could discuss trying to have another one.

Mana rolled her eyes, "I'd bet that you'll have another litter in the Spring."

Yami flushed, "In the Spring? Why would you say that?" Yami asked. She had learned her lesson before she wasn't going to not ask a question when the ladies mentioned something. Her silence led to her stumbling head first into mating with Atem. She wasn't making a mistake like that again.

Serenity sighed, "Because come around February or so you'll go into heat. And, well...there is little doubt that Alpha will..." She trailed off with a blush of her own.

Mana snorted, "What our sweet Serenity is trying to say is that you and Alpha will go into a mating frenzy for about three or four days and after that's finally done we can practically guarantee that you'll be with pups again." Mana said.

"Heat? Is that something that happens...a lot? What is that even like?" Yami asked, her cheeks were no doubt cherry red at this point.

Mana shrugged, "No clue. I've never been in heat. None of us have." Mana said.

"Then, why would you think that I would go into heat?" Yami asked.

Kisara chuckled, "Because you are Alpha's mate. That makes you the Alpha female of this pack. Only the Alpha's go into heat. No other Weres in this pack ever will, but you and Alpha will once a year." Kisara said.

Mana nodded, "Yeah, all I really remember about it was that my mother would really start to stink. Like really bad. Then my dad would be all over her." Mana said.

"Although not super common I've heard of some Alpha pairs having up to three litters of pups in a year. Most however, have two litters a year. The one after the heat is a guarantee...then again, every single time you are with Alpha there is a pretty high chance that you'll end up with pups." Kisara supplied.

Yami groaned, "And this is yet another thing that Atem decided I didn't need to know apparently." Yami muttered.

Serenity shrugged, "Maybe it just didn't occur to him. He's never been in heat himself yet." Serenity said.

Yami snorted, "Sure, I'm positive **that's **why he never mentioned it." Yami muttered.

"BETA!"

Yami and Kisara both looked up sharply at the unexpected howl to see two wolves come charging back into the clearing at full speed.

Mana frowned, "What is Malik doing back already? I thought he'd gone with Alpha." Mana said.

Yami slowly rose to her feet as Seto came walking out of his and Kisara's den.

"What is it?" Seto asked.

Yami didn't even remember moving away from the sewing circle but next thing she knew she was standing next to Seto. "Is Atem okay?" Yami asked.

Malik shifted back into his human form and nodded, "Yes, Alpha is fine. He's left our territory with Akefia and headed even further East to meet with the pack of invaders. That isn't what he sent us back about." Malik said.

"Then what was it that Alpha wanted me to know?" Seto asked briskly.

"Alpha wanted you to put the pack on high alert. There is an injured Were from another pack somewhere in our territory." Malik said.

Seto frowned, "An injured Were? Is Alpha certain?" Seto inquired.

Malik nodded, "Yes. We came across the sight of what looked like a nasty encounter with a hunter. And one dead Were. There was a second Were that headed to the North and it was without question injured." Malik said.

Seto nodded, "And what about the hunter?" Seto asked.

Malik sighed, "Alpha doesn't think the chances of the hunter having survived the encounter and made it all the way back to Domino are good but he did want you to alert Ishizu to the possibility regardless." Malik said.

Seto nodded once more, "I'll call her. And she had better not ignore my call again because I'm not going all the way to Domino to speak to her in person. Especially not with Alpha out of the territory and an injured Were nearby." Seto said before he turned his attention back to Malik and Marik, "Go and rejoin Alpha. Tell him that I will take care of things for him here." Seto declared.

"Yes Beta." Marik barked before he turned and trotted back out of the clearing with Malik shifting before trotting back after him.

"Have everyone gather in the center of the clearing. After I make this call to Ishizu I have some announcements that I need to make." Seto told Yami before he turned and briskly headed back into his den.

Kisara lightly knocked her shoulder against Yami's which startled her because she hadn't even noticed that Kisara had followed her, "I'll help you get every one gathered together so Seto can make his announcements." Kisara said.

Yami nodded her thanks for the assistance as the pair made their way back over to the sewing circle. "We'll have to clean this up for a little while. Beta has to make some announcements so we need to gather in the center of the clearing." Kisara said.

Serenity nodded before her and Mana quickly began to gather up their supplies and stored them back in the baskets they used to hold extras while Yami and Kisara wandered around the clearing telling every Were they came across that Beta had an announcement and for them to gather in the center of the clearing.

Once they had passed the word onto everyone they could find Kisara and Yami joined the others in the clearing. They didn't have to wait for long before Seto came striding into the center of the circle.

"Alright everyone, listen up. Alpha has informed discovered that there is an injured Were from a different pack in our territory. The Were was wounded during a fight with a human hunter. Until this Were is found bitches and pups are to stay in the clearing. Under no circumstances are any to be wandering off. There will also not be a hunting party going out today. If you absolutely have to leave the clearing I want to be personally informed that you are leaving and report back to me upon your return. That goes for everyone. Bitches and pups, if you need to leave the clearing a male will be accompanying you. I don't want any complaints on that. Am I understood?" Seto stated.

"Yes Beta." The pack replied.

"Then you are all dismissed." Seto said briskly before he strode out of the clearing as the meeting began to break up.

Yami sighed as she turned to Kisara, "Is it really dangerous? Another Were in our territory?" Yami asked.

Kisara sighed, "It could be. The fact that the Were is wounded is what makes this a tense situation. Wounded animals are desperate ones and they are more likely to lash out and attack then they would be in a normally. Its smart of Beta to have us exercising caution. We've already lost two members of our pack. We don't need to be losing anyone else." Kisara said.

"Right. That makes sense." Yami said as she followed Kisara back towards where the sewing circle was reconvening. There really was nothing better for them to do although Yami couldn't help but be worried about Atem.

XXXXXXXXXX

Atem and Akefia quickly made their way through the neighboring wolves territory, only occasionally having to stop and sniff the trees to verify that they were on the right track.

"Do you think it means anything that they've retreated Alpha?" Akefia asked as they ran.

"I would rather not draw any conclusions until I have met with their pack Alpha." Atem said.

"I suppose that does make sense." Akefia conceded as they climbed another hill, this one steep and rocky before coming to a small plateau on which there were several caves. Once they had reached the plateau several wolves exited the caves.

"What business do you have here Halfbreed?" A large gray wolf growled.

Atem snorted, "I want to speak to Lupis. And I won't leave until I have." Atem growled.

Another large gray wolf came trotting out of his cave. "And what business do you have in my territory Halfbreed?" Lupis growled.

Atem barred his teeth, "Your pack murdered two pups from my pack yesterday." Atem growled.

"We did no such thing!" Lupis snarled.

"Get your facts straight Halfbreed! We haven't been in your territory since the full moon." Another wolf snapped.

Atem cocked his head in mild confusion, "Why did you leave my territory Lupis? You were quite adamant when I confronted you last that you would not leave no matter what I had to say on the matter. Yet, you expect me to believe that you decided to retreat to your own territory without any further prompting." Atem growled.

"We were chased out as you know damn well." Lupis growled.

"Chased out, by whom? No one from my pack had anything to do with..." Atem began.

"It was by another halfbreed just like you. They stank of human. They attacked our hunting party and drove us right out of your territory and back into our own. Don't play me for a fool Halfbreed." Lupis growled.

Atem snarled, "No one from my pack engaged with yours. I gave strict orders for members of my pack to not wander out to the eastern portion of my territory so there would not be any confrontations between our packs. If you were chased out then it wasn't by us." Atem snapped.

"And perhaps you aren't a strong enough Alpha to control your pack." Lupis snarled.

Atem bared his teeth, his posture tense. "I assure you, I am more than capable of controlling my own pack. Just like I am more than capable of defeating you in a fight Lupis." Atem growled.

"Get out of my territory Atem! Or there will be trouble you filthy Halfbreed." Lupis growled.

Atem snarled at Lupis once more before he turned to Akefia, "We're leaving." Atem declared. Akefia nodded before he trotted after Atem heading back down the rocky hillside and heading back towards their own territory.

They hadn't gone far before they ran into Malik and Marik. Marik whimpered, "Don't tell me we missed watching you teach those wolves a lesson."

Atem snorted, "Lupis and his pack claim that it was not them that attacked the pups. They claim that they haven't been in our territory since the full moon. Claim a couple of Weres chased them out." Atem said.

"But, none of us did anything. You were very specific that we were not to get into it with the wolf pack." Malik pointed out.

"Exactly. Which means the Weres who chased out Lupis's pack are more than likely the Weres who tangled with that hunter." Atem said.

Akefia snorted as well, "Which means that damn Were probably isn't going to be leaving our territory any time soon." Akefia said.

"We could always hunt him down and chase him out?" Marik suggested before adding, "The four of us could easily do it."

"We could but I would rather return to the clearing for today and we can be on our guard. Tomorrow we'll head north to see if we can track down the other Were." Atem said.

Malik snorted, "That eager to return to your mate, eh Alpha?" Malik teased.

Atem snorted, "I'd like to see how long you were comfortable leaving your mate alone if she was carrying pups Malik." Atem said.

"That's wonderful news Alpha! Congratulations." Malik yipped.

Atem nodded, "It is. And I would like to celebrate it. Tonight when we return to the clearing." Atem said.

Marik let out a bark of delight before he playfully nipped at Marik's flank, "Then lets get a move on!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Yami was starting to get a bit antsy and she really couldn't even explain why. The sun was slowly beginning to set and Atem still hadn't returned. What if something had happened to him? After all he had gone to confront the wolf pack that had murdered two of her pack mates.

Yami shook her head. It still was really throwing her how quickly she was falling into the mindset that the Weres that made up this pack were like a family to her. They were still mostly strangers but yet...on some still alien level they felt like family.

Yami glanced down at the beautiful baby blanket that her and the other girls had managed to sew earlier today. And she could already see herself wrapping up a baby in that blue blanket to help keep him or her warm. Nights in October could be pretty cold and they didn't have the option of turning on a heater out here. Yami didn't even want to think what winter would be like.

"You look pensive."

Yami jumped and whipped around to see that Atem had come trotting right into the den with her once again completely unaware the was even there. Yami forced a scowl on her face, "You need to quit sneaking up on me like that. One of these days your going to give me a heart attack." Yami growled.

Atem snorted before he shifted, "Or you could finally begin to pay closer attention to your surroundings and be able to tell that I'm coming. That is the outcome I am hoping for." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Jerk." Yami muttered.

Atem shook his head fondly before he tugged Yami into his arms. "I missed you." Atem whispered as he lightly nuzzled against her throat.

Yami felt her cheeks heating up slightly and her heart beat quicken just a tiny bit. It was stupid. Her and Atem weren't actually a real couple which meant the fact that she did miss him and had worried about him was ridiculous. Absolutely utterly and completely ridiculous. But, it didn't change the fact that she had.

"Your such a sap." Yami ended up muttering.

Atem laughed, "Admit it for such a savage beast I can certainly have some very human emotions. Isn't that right my precious mate?" Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Well, you definitely got the savage beast part correct. Now, mind telling me why you've decided to shift into your weaker form? I can pretty much understand wolf now so by all means stay in your true form. Wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable on my account." Yami muttered.

Atem rolled his eyes, "Believe me if I didn't want to be in this form then I wouldn't be. But you are correct that I shifted for a reason beloved." Atem said.

"Oh? And what reason would that be? And if the reason involves wanting to have sex again you might as well shift back because you're going to be disappointed." Yami said.

Atem snorted before he wrapped an arm around Yami's shoulders drawing her closer to his body. "Then it is probably a good thing that isn't the reason I chose to shift. I shifted because we're going to have having a bit of a human style celebration tonight. So, in keeping with the theme I have requested that everyone be in their human form. And yes, that means even me." Atem said.

Yami snuggled into Atem's body for a few moments feeling the last remnants of tension leave her completely, "Oh? And do I want to know what the occasion is?" Yami asked.

"We are celebrating the fact that you are carrying puppies. I am going to officially announce the news to the pack." Atem said.

Yami bit her lip, "So, would it be a bad thing if I already told Serenity, Mana and Kisara earlier today?" Yami asked.

Atem shook his head, "No, not at all. I already told Akefia, Malik and Marik while we were heading back from our meeting with the wolves." Atem said.

"How did that go by the way? There isn't going to be some massive Were versus Wolves war or something, is there?" Yami asked.

Atem shook his head, "No there will not be. I'll tell you more about my meeting with the wolves later. Right now we have a party we need to be getting to." Atem said.

Yami slipped out of Atem's grasp and made her way out into the den to see what appeared to be Akefia, Malik and Marik it looked like in the middle of building a massive bonfire. There was another man who was tanned and wearing just a blue pair of shorts with black hair held out of his face by a blue bandanna focused on skewering fish and some squirrels on sticks like makeshift kebabs.

She glanced over to see Mana excitedly dancing around and some young children giggling while they chased each other around the clearing. Kisara and Seto slowly made their own way out of their den. Yami watched as Kisara paused and glanced back for a moment before, much to Yami's shock she saw a young boy with waist length black hair slowly limp out of the den as well before he fell into step beside Kisara who lightly draped her arm around his shoulders.

"Is that Mokuba?" Yami asked Atem in a whisper.

Atem's arms wrapped themselves around Yami's waist. "It is. He still has a lot of healing to do but the fact he is able to be up and about is a good sign. And certainly something else for our pack to celebrate." Atem said.

Yami nodded, "I would say so." Yami agreed before she slipped out of Atem's arms and began to make her way over to where the other Weres were gathering. Atem lightly grabbed her wrist, tugging her into the center of the circle beside him as all of the gathered Were's fell silent.

"Tonight is a night for celebration. Not only has young Mokuba found the strength to venture out of his den and join us but my mate and I also have some wonderful news to share. Yesterday morning we were able to confirm that my mate is pregnant and will be having puppies come October." Atem declared.

The entire pack let out a shout of pure joy so loud that it was reminiscent of the stands at Domino High School when their football team scored a last minute field goal to win the game and earn themselves a spot at the State level tournament.

Atem waited for the cheers to finally die down before he continued to speak, "As no doubt you all agree this is an occasion that needs to be celebrated. So, tonight we shall dance, feast and have a grand time." Atem declared.

This statement was also greeted with a shout of delight however it was no where near as loud as the initial cheer had been. And then to Yami's surprise music began to be heard through the clearing. She glanced around for a moment looking for the source and was only mildly surprised to see a few Weres had managed to produce some instruments from somewhere and were more than capable of carrying a tune.

Yami was drawn from her observation by Atem tugging her closer and spinning her around and beginning to lead her through a merry dance. "Since when did you learn how to dance?" Yami asked.

"Years ago. Don't be so surprised. Parties like this may be rare but they most certainly do happen." Atem said as a wolfish grin appeared on his face, "Why are you constantly acting surprised that you have such a talented mate?" Atem teased.

Yami snorted, "I wouldn't go as far as to say talented." Yami teased back.

Atem snorted as well, "Of course not. Can't possibly have you admitting that there is a single positive thing you could say about me." Atem shot back, although despite his words his tone was still light and teasing taking any bite out of his statement.

Yami laughed, "Exactly, can't have you getting a big head now, can we." Yami replied.

Atem laughed, "Isn't me getting a big head why we're celebrating to begin with?" Atem replied.

Yami flushed before she playfully smacked Atem in the shoulder, "Damn it Atem! There are children nearby! You can't be saying things like that and risk corrupting their innocent little ears." Yami growled.

Atem just laughed before he leaned down and captured Yami's lips in an unexpected yet once again very tender kiss that made Yami's toes curl and left her utterly and completely breathless as Atem pulled away.

"And what was that for?" Yami asked as she shyly pressed her face into Atem's chest, embarrassed by the wolf whistles their kiss had drawn.

"You're going to be a wonderful mother." Atem whispered.

Yami had no idea how to respond to that. Atem however, seemed perfectly fine with Yami's silence as he continued to lead her around the bonfire. Their dance, however was cut short by three young children who latched themselves onto Atem's legs.

"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!" The children called.

Atem slowly released his hold on Yami with a fond sigh as he glanced down at the children, "Yes, what is it?" Atem asked.

"Marik won't tell us the story. He said you'd have to tell it. PLEEEASE Alpha!" The children begged.

Yami quirked a brow, "Oh, and what story is this?" Yami asked.

Atem laughed, "Okay, fine. I'll tell the story but only because my mate hasn't heard it before." Atem said.

"Yes!" The children cheered before they scampered off and plopped down on the ground a short distance away from the bonfire. Atem shook his head fondly, his arm slipping around Yami's waist as he led her over to the children.

"You never told me what story the children want you to tell." Yami said.

Atem smirked, "Because you'll find out soon enough. No reason to spoil the surprise." Atem teased.

Yami rolled her eyes but allowed Atem to lead her over to join the children. He did pause briefly to snag a squirrel kebab which looked like it was freshly pulled from the fire which he handed to Yami. "A snack to eat while you're listening to my harrowing tale full of daring and heroism." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Right. I'm surrre that's exactly what your story will include." Yami muttered before her and Atem sat down on the ground, with Yami resting comfortably against Atem's side, his arm still wrapped around her.

"Now, you all want to hear the story about me and the bear, right?" Atem asked.

"YEAH!" The children shouted.

Yami frowned, "Bear? What bear?"

Atem chuckled, "Alright, alright I get it. You want to hear about the bear." Atem said before he cleared his throat, "Well, it all started on a warm summer day not unlike today had been. Akefia, Seto, Malik, Marik and I had decided to go out as our own hunting party. We were what, twelve? Thirteen?" Atem asked.

"Thirteen, Alpha." Seto replied as he took a seat not far from the children. Kisara and Mokuba with him. "Sorry, Mokuba loves the story about the bear. He didn't want to miss it." Seto added.

Atem nodded, "Right. Thirteen. Anyway, like I said the five of us had set out to do some hunting. We were hoping to be able to bring down a doe. We reached the meadow to the far east by the river and were looking around for a doe when it came flying out of nowhere." Atem said, his voice taking on a suspenseful tone.

The children were giggling as they were sitting on the edge of their seats.

"BAM!" Atem suddenly shouted making all of the children jump back before they just started laughing, "A 500 pound Black Bear came charging out of the woods. Without any warning. It was on us in seconds." Atem said.

"The bear slammed into Akefia, his massive paw swiping across his face knocking him to the dirt. There was blood everywhere. For a moment we really believed that Akefia was dead and that we were going to be next unless we did something." Atem said.

"Now, we had two choices. We could've retreated with our tales tucked beneath our legs leaving Akefia to become a bear's dinner. Or we could take on the bear ourselves." Atem said.

Atem chuckled, "I don't really believe in retreating so I told the others that we were going to take on the bear. I sent Malik and Marik to try and flank the bear from the right. And had Seto go in from the left. And I was going to go right up the center." Atem said.

"I ran as fast and as hard as I could at the bear before I leapt into the air and latched my jaws around the bear's throat. Then I was in for a wild ride." Atem said.

"The bear thrashed about doing everything it possibly could to try and throw me off." Atem said.

"But you were too strong, weren't you Alpha?" One of the children asked.

Atem nodded, "That's right. I was too strong and soon the bear had managed to lose enough blood that I was able to bring it down." Atem said. He smirked, "I was battered and bruised for sure, but I was alive."

Seto snorted, "Yeah, and after we managed to rouse Akefia it took all five of us working together to drag the damn thing back to the clearing. We ate bear for a whole week." Seto said.

Atem nodded. "That we did. I remember you saying something about how you would never complain about eating deer again." Atem replied.

Seto chuckled, "You would be correct Alpha. And I haven't." Seto replied.

"Thanks for the story Alpha. You're awesome." One of the children declared, their voice shining with pure adulation.

"Yeah, you're so amazing!" Another child whispered, sounding awestruck.

Atem chuckled, "Thank you. Now, why don't you kids go off and have yourselves some fun." Atem suggested.

The children needed no further prompting before they got up and scampered off.

Kisara just shook her head, "I've heard that story at least eight different times and each time I swear the bear gets bigger with the telling. At least its still a Black Bear in the story because the next thing I'm expecting if for the tale to be the five of you taking on a Grizzly." Kisara muttered.

Seto rolled his eyes, "You're exaggerating dearest. The bear was massive. If you'd seen it you would agree with us." Seto said.

Yami sighed, "I take it that is the story of how Akefia ended up with that scar on his face." Yami said.

Atem nodded, "That it is. It is also the story about how I got the pelt that I like to wear around my shoulders. That is a portion of the pelt from that bear. The rest of it is in our den." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Well, isn't that an absolutely lovely story." Yami muttered.

Atem chuckled, "Are you trying to say you weren't impressed by the tale?" Atem teased.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Sure. You were brave and you managed to take down a bear. With help. You got lucky that all five of you didn't get yourselves killed." Yami muttered.

Atem just shook his head fondly, "Did you at least enjoy the story?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed but nodded, "It was a good story. But I'm serious Atem I don't want you ever telling our children that story. The last thing I want is for our children to set out to take on a bear because their father had managed it when he was a teenager."

Atem laughed, "Alright. Alright, fine. I won't tell them the story. But, that doesn't mean Seto, Malik, or Marik won't tell the story themselves." Atem said.

Seto slowly stood up and whispered something in Atem's ear. Atem frowned but nodded and whispered something back before Seto turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"What was that about?" Yami asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Now, I don't know about you I want to get in a little more dancing before we call it a night." Atem said tugging Yami to her feet before leading her back out to dance.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Were

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Yami and Atem danced for quite a while and Yami found herself really enjoying it. The party was definitely fun if not completely unexpected. She actually was a bit disappointed when Atem finally called an end to the celebrations. Although, he did have a point that it was getting late.

Yami leaned heavily against Atem, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist and her head resting on his shoulder as the pair began to make their way back towards their den.

"Alpha?" Seto called out.

Atem paused briefly, "Yes Seto? I trust that everything is in hand." Atem said.

"Yes, it is. I will take care of everything." Seto vowed.

Atem nodded, "Good. I expect nothing less. Now, I'm going to put my mate to bed and tomorrow morning I am going to take a few Weres with me while we go and track down this other Were and find out what business it has in our territory. I would truly appreciate it if this minor matter does not end up dragging my own mate in. She has more than enough to be getting on with, wouldn't you agree Seto?" Atem said.

Seto nodded, "I would indeed Alpha. Rest assured this matter will be dealt with without you or your mate having to be involved." Seto replied.

Atem nodded once more, "Excellent. Now, I bid you a good night Seto." Atem said.

"Good night Alpha. Alpha female." Seto replied before he turned and walked away.

Yami snorted, "Do I even want to know what that was about? And I swear that is the first time Seto has addressed me as Alpha Female. Its actually kind of weird." Yami said.

Atem chuckled, "Well, you should probably get used to it because a lot of Weres are going to start calling you that because they are coming to respect you as exactly that. My mate and the female Alpha of this pack." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "And you still aren't going to tell me what you and Seto were discussing?" Yami prodded.

Atem shrugged, "We were discussing a minor matter that is no concern of either mine or yours. Seto was merely assuring me that he would make sure that the matter was addressed without myself or you having to be drawn in." Atem replied.

Yami rolled her eyes, "And if that wasn't a vague answer than I honestly don't know what one is." Yami muttered.

Atem snorted before his arm slipped briefly from around her waist before he scooped her up into his arms.

"Atem! I can walk the what, forty or so feet to our den. I'm not that tired." Yami squawked.

Atem laughed, "But you are tired. And I wouldn't want to be neglectful of my duties as your mate by not carrying you back to our den." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Yeah. Neglectful, that's exactly what you're being." Yami muttered.

Atem just chuckled as he carried her into their den before playfully dropping her on the pile of pelts. "Ass." Yami growled as Atem dropped down onto the pelts beside her and pulled her back into his arms as he rolled onto his back.

Atem paused before he released his hold on Yami without warning and sat up, his hand swiping out and grabbing a hold of the blanket that Yami and the other ladies had made earlier that day. "You made this?" Atem asked.

Yami blushed, "Yeah. I mean Kisara, Serenity and Mana all helped me. I'm really not the greatest at sewing. But I swear I am getting better." Yami whispered.

"I think its fantastic." Atem said.

Yami shyly glanced up at him, "Really?" Yami asked.

Atem nodded, "Yes, we'll definitely need the extra blankets. Even with their fur and our own body heat winter will be cold. Blankets are definitely important." Atem said.

Yami smiled, "Thanks. I just, well blankets are popular gifts at baby showers so I figured that it might be a good idea." Yami said.

"I couldn't be happier that you are so excited about this." Atem said.

Yami shrugged, "I mean, I can't change it. So, I might as well just embrace it." Yami replied.

Atem just looked at Yami for a moment before he set the blanket aside and pulled Yami in for another deep kiss. Yami's arms slipped around Atem's shoulders as the two fell back against the pelts with Yami beneath Atem as the two kissed.

The kiss broke leaving Yami and Atem both gasping for breath. "Why did you do that?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted, "Do I need a reason every time I decide to kiss my mate? Don't think I haven't noticed that almost every time I've kissed you lately you've asked me why I did." Atem replied.

Yami shrugged, "Well, I guess you don't need a reason. I just figured that there might be one." Yami said.

Atem snorted once more, his hand lightly tracing the edge of Yami's cheek. "Then I guess we'll go with the most simplistic of reasons then. I love you. And I like kissing you." Atem whispered before he captured Yami's lips once more.

Yami mentally froze as Atem whispered those three simple words. He said them so casually, like he hadn't even had to think about what he was saying. Did he even realize what he'd said. _Atem loves me. He LOVES me. _Yami's mind was racing as her and Atem continued to kiss.

The scarier question for Yami to answer though was, could she really possibly be falling in love with Atem? On the one hand it was utterly and completely ridiculous she'd known him for less than two full weeks. People don't fall in love that quickly, not really. The only time that actually happened was in fairy tales where people fall in love at first sight.

Was she attracted to Atem? Without question she was. She'd noticed that even before the whole mating beneath the full moon that he was handsome. And that seeing him had her heart racing in ways a guy never really had before.

Did she care about Atem? Yami sighed into the kiss. She could feel that Atem's hands had slipped up under her shirt and she allowed the kiss to break momentarily so Atem could cast it aside before he turned his attention onto her throat. Did she care about him? That was a bit trickier to answer.

She knew that yesterday she had really missed Atem while he had been gone. And when Malik and Marik returned shouting for Seto her heart had literally dropped down to the pit of her stomach because she had thought that something bad had happened to Atem. And that thought had continued to linger in the back of her mind the longer Atem had been gone. Did that mean she cared about him?

Yami groaned as Atem continued to just kiss her. Figuring out if she cared about someone really shouldn't be this complicated Yami mused. Take right now for example, here she was getting ready to for what, the seventh? Or was it the eighth time have sex with Atem. Which she could not deny she was completely willing to do but she can't seem to wrap her head around the possibility that she might care about him.

Putting her being worried about him earlier to the side Yami really tried to think about how Atem made her feel. Not regarding her sexual attraction to him, no that was something else entirely. Something she could probably blame on the animal that she now partially was. Animals have no problem rutting in the dirt and there aren't any deeper emotions or connections than that. So, beyond sex how did Atem make her feel?

He made her feel, safe. As strange as it was to think about it she did truly trust Atem to be able to keep her safe. He was strong and his own ridiculous story went right along those same lines. Atem was more than willing to fight to the death to protect those that he cared about. Akefia was his pack mate, and Atem was willing to take on a bear of questionable size although probably bigger than a cub, to protect his friend. And that was him not even knowing if his friend was even still alive. And wolves, yes it was completely possible for a pack of wolves to kill a bear. But, it was far from a guarantee and the odds certainly dropped when it goes from a pack of wolves to four young teen Weres who had been caught unaware. And yet Atem had stayed and fought. And deep down Yami knew that Atem would fight just as fiercely if not more so for her because when Atem said he cared about her...hell, he said he LOVED her, she believed him.

He also drove her up a wall. He made her mad. He was bossy. He was controlling and when he set his mind to it, or worse he did it without even trying to, he could be a downright ass. He could also be caring. Kind to a degree. Patient, oh god was he patient. Her multiple hours of practice hunting immediately sprang to mind. Not to mention the hours they spent shopping for clothes Atem could honestly care less about ever wearing.

Did she care about him? Yami sighed. As nonsensical as it might be yes, Yami believed she did care about Atem. If something were to happen to him she would be absolutely crushed. And as much as she missed her family and her friends if someone told her tomorrow that there was a way to erase the whole werewolf thing but the only thing was she would have to be okay with never seeing Atem again...Yami deep down didn't know if she would be okay with choosing that.

But she put her foot down when it comes to the idea of falling in love with him because that was impossible. Maybe in a few months she might be willing to go back to that idea. But for right now she was going to settle for caring about the arrogant ass.

Not that she would be willing to admit even that to him. So what she cared about him? Atem didn't need to know. He had a big enough ego as it was without her admitting that she cared about him.

"I thought you said we weren't going to be having sex tonight dearest." Atem huskily whispered in Yami's ear.

Yami chuckled, "And maybe you turned me on more than I wanted to admit with your little bear story." Yami gasped out.

"Oh? Is that so?" Atem chuckled as he began to pepper Yami's face and throat with teasing kisses and nips that drove her beyond wild.

"Yes! God damn it Atem, quit teasing me already and get your damn pants off so we can do this." Yami groaned.

Atem chuckled, "Well, if that is what my beloved mate wants than that is what she shall have." Atem whispered.

"Pants. Off. NOW ATEM!" Yami growled as she attempted to push them off his hips as much as she was able to from her current position. Although, speaking of pants she still had to take off her own shorts.

Atem chuckled once more before he slowly rolled off of Yami to finish tugging down his own pants. Yami seized the opportunity to quickly strip off her own shorts and underwear before Atem once more had pulled her into his arms.

"Now, I believe you said something about wanting to continue." Atem whispered before he pressed another teasing kiss, this time to her breast.

"You're damn right I did. I want you inside me right now Mr. Alpha or do I need to take over and do it myself again?" Yami growled.

Atem snorted before rolling so that Yami was once more lying comfortably beneath him. "No, I am more than capable of taking care of everything you need beloved." Atem growled as he settled himself between Yami's thighs.

"Good. Than do it. Dominant me." Yami growled.

Atem chuckled. "As you wish my dear. As you wish."

XXXXXXXXXX

It was almost dawn when Atem slipped from his still slumbering mate's embrace. There was something else he had to take care of and he couldn't do it while his mate was awake. He slipped on his deerhide pants before he headed out into the clearing and over to his Beta's den.

"Seto!" Atem called out, it didn't take him long before Seto came wandering out of the den dressed in only a comfortable pair of pants himself.

"Good morning Alpha." Seto greeted.

Atem nodded, "Now, onto what we were discussing briefly last night. Do you have any more specifics for me?" Atem asked.

Seto nodded, "Follow me Alpha." Seto beckoned as he slowly made his way through the clearing. "As you know last night Ishizu decided to text me, alerting me that someone had come into the Domino ER from a wild animal encounter who tested positive for lycanthropy." Seto said.

Atem nodded once more, "Yes, that was what you told me last night and I told you to take care of it. You said you had the matter well in hand. So, what's the situation?" Atem asked.

"I sent Anzu to go and meet with the newly turned Were and explain things. And then once that matter had been address she was to accompany the new Were onto pack grounds." Seto elaborated.

"Good. Now, where did you have the Were sleep?" Atem asked.

Seto sighed, "I know it probably wasn't the wisest decision but I had her sleep in Anzu's den with her and Joey. I didn't really know where else to put her and I didn't want to disturb you and your mate. And seeing as how Anzu had already met the new Were it seemed like the best short term solution that I could think of. We can of course relocate her if we need to. That's up to you Alpha." Seto said.

Atem's eyebrow rose in mild shock, "I was expecting you to tell me the new Were was a male. Yet you said 'her' three times. Are you saying our mysterious hunter was in fact a female?" Atem asked.

Seto shrugged, "So it would appear. That or we have a mysterious rogue on our hands that is attacking people. I'd prefer to believe this was our mysterious hunter." Seto replied.

Atem nodded, he would prefer to believe the same since if the other story was true then they had a serious problem. "What can you tell me about the attack? As I said from what I could tell it looked like there was a very bloody battle." Atem said.

Seto shrugged once more, "I asked Anzu to fill me in on how she got bitten after the new Were had finally gotten settled. Anzu said that she had gone for a hike in the woods and after she had made her way across the river she'd gotten herself all turned around. She'd been hiking for more than an hour before she said she stumbled upon two very large wolves." Seto explained.

Atem rose a brow, "The two Weres." Atem said.

Seto nodded, "I believe so, yes. Anyway, the girl said that she had pulled out the hunting knife she had grabbed from her father's garage for protection. She brandished it while she tried to slowly back away. The wolves however didn't let her and they attacked. She said she slashed one wolf across the face with the knife to get it to let go of her forearm while the other wolf had latched onto her leg but it let go when the first wolf had been attack. Then the second wolf came back for round two and knocked her to the ground and she said went to go in for a killing blow when she buried the knife in the wolf's belly all the way up to the hilt. The wolf dropped and she claimed that she had been pinned beneath its dead body while the other wolf had taken off. To get help was what she had worried. After she managed to get from under the dead wolf she said it took her hours before she was finally able to make it back home. She tried to clean herself up and use first aide but the bites looked pretty deep so she ended up taking herself to the ER." Seto explained.

Atem sighed, "Well, that certainly sounds like she could be our mysterious hunter. Anything else you can tell me about her?" Atem asked.

Seto shrugged, "Only the basics. She's young, midteens. Lived with her parents on the edge of Domino City." Seto said.

Atem frowned, "Did you say midteens? Like my mate's age?" Atem asked.

Seto nodded, "Yeah, sixteen, seventeen somewhere in there." Seto replied.

Atem said nothing more before he turned and strode off heading over to Joey and Anzu's den. Unlike with Seto's den Atem did not pause before he strode inside his eyes flicking over the three sleeping Weres. He recognized all three of them. Joey and Anzu were lying curled up together on one side of the den. And there on the other side of the den nestled in amongst some deer skin pelts was Yami's best friend Mai. _Of course it couldn't possibly be anyone else. It had to be the one person who stands the best chance of unraveling all the progress that Yami has managed to make. Well, this much is clear I will not let her ruin things. _Atem thought to himself.

Atem turned and quickly swept back out of the den. Seto was waiting for him just outside, "As I said keep the new Were far away from my mate. I do not want them interacting at all. Make this plain to your mate I don't want Yami even hearing that there is a new Were here. Am I understood Seto?" Atem growled.

Seto nodded, "Of course Alpha. I'll tell Kisara." Seto said.

Atem nodded once more, "At dawn I want you to get her transformed and keep her in her wolf form. Send Akefia to take her out to the West and try and teach her some basic scenting techniques. It might also be a good idea to inform him that she is to stay away from Yami." Atem said.

Seto nodded once more, "We will do as you say Alpha. Your mate won't hear a single word from us." Seto vowed.

"Good. She had better not. She has finally begun to slowly accept that she is a Were. I will not have this damn bitch screwing things up for her. And if its going to be a problem I'm not above having the other pack take her in. It was one of theirs that turned her. They can deal with it." Atem growled.

Seto nodded, "It will be as you have said Alpha. The new Were will not go any where near your mate. I'll personally make sure of it." Seto said.

"Good, now I would like to enjoy some more time with my own mate this morning before I have to head out to try and track down the wounded Were." Atem replied.

Seto merely inclined his head before Atem turned and trotted back to his own den. Yami was still sound asleep and Atem could not help but smile as he looked at his beautiful mate. God above he loved her. Atem crawled back into the pile of pelts and his mate subconsciously turned towards him making it even easier for Atem to gather her back into his arms.

"Where were you?" Yami sleepily whispered as she nuzzled Atem's throat.

"I had to discuss something with Seto for a moment. But, don't worry, I'm back now. I won't be going anywhere again until its time to get up." Atem whispered.

"Okay." Yami sleepily replied before she drifted back off to sleep not that Atem was even sure she'd fully woken up in the first place.

Atem just laid awake as he held his mate close. He really did hope that this new Were didn't cause Yami any problems. But, he did trust Seto to be able to keep Yami ignorant of the new Were's presence. _Perhaps tomorrow after I've dealt with the rogue Were I can take Yami out of the clearing. Perhaps we can do some more hunting practice? Perhaps I can teach her the basics of how to fight? There is still so much that I really need to teach her before I need to start turning my attention onto preparations for winter. _

Atem sighed, winter. The pups would be about a month maybe two old when the first snowfall comes. Atem was going to hope beyond hope that they don't end up trying to shift because winters could be downright brutal and that wasn't when you were a babe. _The trick will probably be managing to keep Yami in wolf form. If the pups don't see either of their parents really shifting then they won't wish to shift themselves. However, if they see their mother in human skin regularly then they will subconsciously try to shift in order to mimic their mother. I'll have to try and explain that to her. It would be one thing if the pups were born in the spring and the weather wasn't as cold. _Atem mused.

Atem laid beside Yami until he was able to see the sun beginning to peak over the horizon. Atem sighed he really should be waking Yami up, although perhaps he could let her sleep in a little. After all, she was up late because they had mated again.

He could leave a little later in the morning to go and track down the Were. He wasn't going to be leaving his territory to to do so if the Were had been smart and retreated back into his own territory then Atem would leave him be. But if he hadn't then Atem was not above chasing the Were off.

"Alpha?"

Atem glanced up to see Marik awkwardly standing in the entrance to his den. "Yes Marik?" Atem asked.

"I was wondering when you were planning on heading out." Marik asked.

"We will head out as soon as my mate is awake. Don't worry Marik, I will come and find you once I am ready to head out." Atem said.

Marik nodded, "No problem Alpha. Enjoy your time with your mate." Marik said before he turned and trotted off leaving Atem and Yami alone once again. Atem sighed as he just allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of holding his mate close.

Yami finally began to wake up about an hour or so later. "Good morning." Atem whispered before he pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

Yami slowly stretched, her body subconsciously arching into Atem's own hard body. "Morning." Yami yawned as she slowly blinked her eyes open. "So, what's on the big agenda today Atem?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "I am going to be gone again today. I need to go and make sure that a rogue Were that was in my territory is gone. And if he isn't then I am going to chase him out. With any luck I should be back a little bit after mid day." Atem said.

Yami bit her lip, "Atem, if you are only going to be gone until midday maybe when you get back you and I could head into Domino for a little while." Yami asked.

Atem quirked a brow, "Oh? And why would you want to do that?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed, "Well, I was actually hoping that we could go to the pet store. Maybe buy some stuff that might help with the puppies when they get here. Stuff that isn't as easy for me to learn how to make." Yami said.

Atem smiled, "Fine, I suppose we could do that but I want to be back here by nightfall. Is that okay with you?" Atem asked.

Yami nodded, "That would be just fine with me." Yami replied.

"Then that is what we shall do my dear, and tomorrow you will be spending the day with me. I think its high time I got back to helping you do some practice hunting and I should also at least teach you the basics of how to fight." Atem said.

Yami frowned, "Fight? As in I'd have to fight with you?" Yami asked.

Atem snorted, "Don't worry, it would only be playfully just so I can teach you the basics of what you would need to do. I won't hurt you. I promise." Atem replied.

Yami sighed, "Fine. You have yourself a deal Atem." Yami replied.

Atem chuckled, "Well, I'm glad that you are so agreeable. Now I really need to be going so I can track down this Were and get back with enough time for us to go to Domino." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Then what are you still doing here? Get out of here. And I'll see you when you get back." Yami replied.

Atem smiled before he leaned down and pressed his lips to Yami's. Yami sighed into the kiss as she readily kissed Atem back. The kiss wasn't a particularly long one before Atem pulled away. "I love you. And I will see you when I get back." Atem whispered.

"Stay safe. Don't go tangling with any bears." Yami replied.

Atem chuckled, "Don't worry, I will be." Atem replied before he slowly released his hold on Yami and shifted. He paused once more briefly to lick Yami's cheek before he turned and trotted out into the clearing.

"Marik! Malik! Let's go." Atem called out as he trotted purposely through the clearing.

XXXXXXXXXX

Atem, Malik and Marik headed towards the North Mountain and all three were on heightened alert looking for the wounded Were. Atem led the way up to the peak of the mountain and that was when they saw, stretched out on the top of the mountain was another Were.

This Were was gray with a few streaks of white in its first and the right side of its face was covered in blood. The Were got to his feet as they crested the mountain.

"What business do you have here Were?" Atem growled.

"I should be asking you the same thing pup. This mountain is mine. I was ran out of my old pack because I had challenged our weak Alpha for the position and regretfully I was defeated. So, I've moved onto create my own territory." The strange Were growled.

Atem bared his teeth, "This mountain is a part of my pack's territory and I am the alpha. Return to your own territory before I make you." Atem growled.

The Were snorted, "You know the last Were to say something like that to me died. And like you it was another pup." The Were taunted.

Atem took a threatening step forward, "It was you that attacked our pups! This is your final warning. Leave now before I rip you apart." Atem snarled.

The Were snorted, "What can I say the two pups made a delicious meal."

Atem let out a feral snarl before he lunged at the other Were. Malik and Marik stood back as they watched Alpha and the mysterious Were fight. They would help only if Alpha asked and thus far he had not.

The fight was brutal with neither Were seeming to give an inch as they clawed and bit at one another. However the fight took a nasty turn when the enemy Were slammed into Atem's side sending both Were's tumbling off the side of the mountain.

"Alpha!" Marik howled as he and Malik went racing over to the side where the two Were's had been tumbling down.

"Shit!" Malik growled before he begn to lead the way quickly heading down the mountain looking for Atem. It was slowly going because it was practically a sheer drop on the side that the two Were's had gone over.

They had no idea what they were going to find, but all they did know was that it was not going to be good.

XXXXXXXXXX

"BETA! COME TO THE NORTH MOUNTAIN! QUICKLY!"

Yami glanced up at the unexpected howl. It wasn't Atem howling for Seto, it was either Marik or Malik. She watched as Seto quickly shifted before he started to run out of the clearing. Yami dropped her own sewing before shifting herself and taking off after him.

"Yami! What are you doing?" Mana asked.

"Something is wrong with Atem. I know it. And I'm not going to sit here and wait for news. I'm going after Beta." Yami snapped as she took off out of the clearing a short distance behind Seto. _You had better be okay Atem. You promised that you would be. And you had better keep your fucking promise. _

Mana hesitated for a brief moment before she shifted herself and ran after Yami, lightly knocking her shoulder against Yami's as she ran, "Beta doesn't know you're following him. And I'm not stupid enough to let you go alone. So, if you are so insistent on going then I'm coming with you."

Yami snorted, "Just don't get in my way." Yami replied.

Mana nodded, "Don't worry. I won't. Now come on, lets catch up with Beta." Mana said as he and Yami picked up the pace.

_I'm coming Atem. _Yami thought to herself. _So you had better hang on until I get there. _


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Long Live the Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

The base of the North Mountain is approximately 3 or 4 miles from the clearing however, sprinting after Seto Yami couldn't help but think that it was the longest 3 or 4 miles of her entire life. The one thought that kept running through her mind over and over and over again was what if something had happened to Atem?

Atem had left to go and track down a rogue Were that was in his territory. A single rogue Were shouldn't really be that much of a problem. Yami had seen Atem fight firsthand once when he executed Duke. Atem was strong and his strength was why he had become the pack Alpha to begin with. So, a single rogue Were shouldn't really be able to cause Atem any problems at all.

So, did that mean something else had happened? She hadn't really been joking when she told Atem to not go tangling with any bears. What if Atem had been the one who was mauled unaware like Akefia had been in Atem's story?

In the distance up ahead as the trees began to thin the slightest bit Yami could make out the forms of the two russet colored Weres which were Malik and Marik although Yami still couldn't even tell which was one which yet while in wolf form.

Yami pushed herself to run that much faster now that her goal was clearly insight, although the fact that Atem was not with them was not a good sign. Then again, he would still be at the top of the mountain. But, if Atem was fine...then why did Malik and Marik call for Seto like they did? Why didn't Atem summon Seto himself? Or have Malik or Marik go back to the clearing and get him in person instead of howling for him like they had?

Seto came to a stop in front of the pair with Yami skidding to a stop beside him moments later. However, it was Yami who addressed the two wolves first. "Where's Atem? Where is MY MATE?" Yami growled.

Seto turned towards Yami, "What are you even doing out here? You should be back in the clearing!" Seto growled.

Yami however bared her teeth at Seto, "I am not returning to the clearing until I know that my mate is safe!" Yami snarled.

"Don't worry Beta, I followed her. She was never without someone right at her side." Mana called out as she also came to a stop beside the group.

Seto snorted, "She still shouldn't have come in the first place. The last thing Alpha would want is to risk something happening to his mate." Seto replied.

Yami snorted as well, "And I know that. And it is up to Alpha and Alpha alone to voice his displeasure about me leaving the clearing. I'll take it from him. I won't take it from anyone else. Now, I ask you again. Where. Is. My. MATE?" Yami growled at Malik and Marik.

Malik and Marik were both silent as they gazed away from Yami and over to Seto. "Beta, thank you for coming so quickly."

Seto frowned, "I'm here now and I am waiting to hear why you called me so urgently." Seto said.

"STOP IGNORING ME AND TELL ME WHERE MY FUCKING MATE IS!" Yami snarled at the pair of Weres. Mana lightly bumped her head against Yami's shoulder no doubt in an effort to calm Yami down somewhat, but it was a pointless gesture since right now the only thing that was going to calm Yami down was confirmation that Atem was alright.

"Beta, as you have no doubt gathered there has been a bit of a situation." Marik said slowly.

"I have gathered as much. However, I would appreciate it, as would Alpha's mate, that you would stop stalling and tell us what is going on." Seto said.

Malik sighed, "Fine. As you know Beta we accompanied Alpha this morning while he went to track down a rogue Were that was in our territory." Malik said.

Seto nodded, "Yes, I am aware that was what Alpha was going to be doing today. I take it things didn't quite go according to plan." Seto said.

Marik nodded, "No, no Beta they did not." Marik said.

Malik snorted, "I mean, to a degree they did. I mean Alpha did find the Were." Malik said.

Yami felt a white hot rage boiling deep within her before she slowly bent her knees and pounced not unlike she had awkwardly done as she chased down the damn squirrel when her and Atem had gone hunting although unlike the squirrel this time her unsuspecting target was an unsuspecting Malik. Yami's body slammed into his, knocking the surprised Were to the dirt.

"Either tell me where my mate is. RIGHT NOW! Or so help me I'll tear your damn throat out." Yami snarled. To be honest Yami had no idea if she'd even be able to do such a thing but as worried and angry as she was at this moment she was more than willing to try.

Malik audibly gulped before he cocked his head over to the right side of the mountain, "Alpha is over there." Malik said.

Yami said nothing further before she quickly scrambled off of Malik and began to make her way in the general direction that Malik had indicated with Mana once more trotting behind her.

"I'm sure Alpha is fine. "Mana whispered.

Yami snorted, "And I will believe that when I can confirm it for myself. Or better yet when Atem can confirm it himself." Yami muttered as she continued to trot hoping for a glimpse of her mate.

"Alpha is strong. You know this." Mana said.

Yami snorted once more, "Just because Atem is strong doesn't mean he couldn't be hurt. He's not some immortal superhero. He has bones that can break just like you and me." Yami replied.

Mana nodded, "I know that, but I don't want you stressing yourself out too much by worrying about him when he is fine." Mana said before softly adding, "Stress isn't good for the pups."

Yami came to a brief stop, "Then your mate and Marik should have answered my damn question the first time I asked it instead of ratcheting up my worry for him by continuing to dodge the question. Now nothing short of seeing Atem with my own two eyes and him confirming to me that he's fine will be enough." Yami said.

The two slowly began to make their way along the side of the mountain still looking for any sign of Atem.

"ATEM!" Yami howled before pausing, waiting for his response.

The pair waited. And waited. But, there was no reply. Atem didn't answer.

Yami turned and looked at Mana who was clearly no longer as certain as she had been that Atem was alright.

"ATEM THIS ISN'T FUNNY! ANSWER ME GOD DAMMIT!" Yami howled as she began to briskly move through the trees with Mana only a few paces behind her.

And then Yami came to a sudden stop. There lying prone on the ground not even fifteen feet away from them was a large black Were. And it wasn't moving.

"NOOOOOO!" Yami howled as she raced forward towards the prone Were with Mana right on her heels.

XXXXXXX

"So how long exactly are we going to continue this pointless exercise of you rubbing against the trees and then having me try and track you down?" Mai asked as he glared at white Wolf that had helped her transform earlier that morning before dragging her out into the middle of nowhere and demanded that she partake in what essentially was boiling down to a never ending game of hide and seek.

Akefia came trotting back over to Mai, "We'll be out here for as long as it takes for you to get the general idea down pat. Being able to scent the trees and use your sense of smell to be able to find your way through the woods is an essential skill to your survival here. And I'll be damned if you don't master it." Akefia snarled back.

Mai snorted, "You do realize that I've only been a Were for not even forty-eight hours and you are expecting me to immediately master a new skill. Hell I'm still trying to get used to the general mechanics of having a wolf for a body." Mai replied.

Akefia snorted once more, "Its really quite simple. You're a wolf now, so you need to learn how to do things the way wolves do." Akefia replied.

Mai rolled her eyes, "Then perhaps my lack of mastery could be attributed to having a bad teacher. Maybe a different Were would have better luck teaching me how to scent the trees." Mai muttered, "Like whoever taught Yami. Or better yet, why can't Yami help teach me? I'd be quite interested in hearing what did and did not work for her." Mai added.

Akefia snorted again, "And I already told you that I was the one Beta instructed to teach you the basics. I will not be pushing that duty onto another Were that has other responsibilities." Akefia replied.

"Oh, and what responsibilities, precisely, are you saying Yami has? Let me guess being that one Were's fuck toy? Is that what she is expected to do?" Mai snarled.

Akefia let out a snarl before he slammed into Mai's side, knocking her to the dirt, "I'd watch my mouth if I were you you little bitch. I will not stand here and let you disrespect your betters in this pack."Akefia growled.

Mai snarled right back, "And who the fuck do you think your calling a bitch?"

"The bitch that I have pinned to the ground. That's who." Akefia snarled right back.

Mai snarled as she tried to kick Akefia off of her however doing so caused Mai to whimper in pain as she put too much pressure on the leg where she'd been bitten during her encounter with the two Weres back in the woods when one of them had managed to take a chunk out of her calf.

She had, somewhat stupidly she now realized, gone after Yami. After having seen the way that guy had manhandled her best friend and dragged her off like he had Mai couldn't just continue to sit in the pool and ignore the situation her friend was in. So, Mai had gone inside and gotten dressed before she headed into the garage and grabbed one of her dad's good hunting knives as well as a compass, his backpack which also had a first aide kit in it before she headed into the woods. And that foolhardy decision had almost ended up costing her her life.

"And if I apologize for my _disrespectful _voicing of the truth will you let me up?" Mai snarled.

"No, I will not let you up until you take back what you said. Alpha does not treat his mate as a fuck toy and I will not allow any Were to disrespect either of them. Am I clear?" Akefia snarled.

"Alpha huh? Is that..."Mai began only to trail off when she suddenly heard a loud howl of "ATEM!"

Mai frowned before she redoubled her efforts to push the white Were off of her, "I'm serious get the fuck off of me! That sounds like Yami." Mai growled.

Akefia grew quiet however he did finally crawl off of Mai allowing the new Were to rise to her feet. "What is going on?" Mai asked.

Akefia snorted, "I don't know. If we were meant to know then we would have been told." Akefia said.

Mai frowned again, "So what are you expecting me to just ignore the fact that my friend is clearly upset about something?" Mai asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you. It isn't any of your business what goes on with our pack Alphas." Akefia said.

"ATEM THIS ISN'T FUNNY! ANSWER ME GOD DAMMIT!"

Mai turned once more to the Were she had been stuck with all day, "Oh so your saying that I shouldn't be concerned that your illustrious pack Alpha can't be bothered to answer my friend. She sounds terrified." Mai said.

Akefia snorted, "Oh, and what precisely would you do to help the situation. If you had even been allowed to?" Akefia asked.

Mai snorted, "Allowed to? Who the fuck do you think you are to forbid me from helping my friend? Trying to help Yami is the whole reason that I became a Were. If it hadn't been for that I never would have been in the woods to begin with and I never would have ended up fighting for my life against those two Weres." Mai growled.

"NOOOOOO!"

Mai turned and began to quickly trot towards the direction she'd heard the howls coming from. "And where the hell do you think you're going bitch?" Akefia snarled.

"To find Yami. And I dare you to stop me you big pussy." Mai snarled right back.

Akefia growled, "It would appear that you have never heard that it is dangerous to aggravate a Were that you don't know." Akefia snarled.

Mai snorted, "And clearly you don't know that it is downright stupid to get between me and my friend." Mai replied.

"You are already wounded and clearly you are still itching to get yourself into a fight. Prepare to get your ass kicked." Akefia snarled before he dove at Mai.

XXXXXX

Yami came to a stop beside the prone Were. She pressed her nuzzle into the Were's throat and took a deep breath. Pine with just a hint of Cinnamon, there was absolutely no question that the Were lying on the ground was Atem.

"No." Yami mournfully whimpered as she continued to try and nudge the side of his face. Just as she had finally begun to accept that she cared about this ass then this had to happen. Mana had come to a stop a few feet behind Yami, close enough to be able to help her if she needed it but far enough back to give Yami a semblance of privacy while Yami was with Atem.

"You broke your promise you egotistical, arrogant, asshole. You promised me that you would be careful and that you would come back. And look at you." Yami whimpered as she continued to nuzzle Atem's throat.

She couldn't believe that this had happened. Now what was she going to do? What would happen now that Atem wasn't going to be there? Would Seto become the new pack Alpha? And what would happen to her and to the pups that she was already carrying? Yami could hardly bring herself to think about it as she plopped down beside Atem, burying her face against his side as she allowed herself to cry.

She turned so her head was resting against the side of Atem's chest because that was a somewhat comfortable position to lie in and couldn't help but frown. She was clearly losing her mind because it almost sounded like she could still hear the sound of Atem's heart beating. But that was just ridiculous wishful thinking on her part. Just because she wanted nothing more than to hear that sound didn't mean that she would. She pressed her head a bit more firmly against Atem's side.

This time the sound was absolutely unmistakable. Atem groaned.

Yami shot to her feet before she began frantically licking the side of Atem's face. Atem groaned once more before he slowly blinked open an eye.

"Atem! You're alive" Yami yipped in excitement as she continued to lick the side of his face.

Atem groaned once more, "Yami? What are you doing here?" Atem asked as he seemed to fully realize where exactly he was.

"Alpha!"

Yami glanced over her shoulder see that Marik, Malik and Seto had joined her and Mana as some point, not that she would have noticed if a herd of elephants had come marching up. Atem no doubt would have scolded her about awareness of her surroundings if he'd heard that particular thought but right now Yami didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that Atem was still alive.

Which meant that when they finally got him back to the den she could kill him for scaring her like he had.

Seto slowly came padding forward, "I'm relieved to see that you are alright Alpha. Can you still stand?" Seto inquired.

"I will get up. Just give me another few seconds first, okay. I'm more than a little bit sore, although given what happened that is to be expected." Atem said.

"And you will be telling me what the hell happened. Do you hear me mister?" Yami growled in Atem's ear.

Atem snorted as he slowly moved his body so he was at least laying with his head lifted up. Now that Atem's head had moved Yami was able to see that the right side of his face was covered in blood and it looked like he'd torn his right ear. He also had blood all over his snout.

"Of course Alpha, take your time. But, if you do need help getting back we will of course help you back to the clearing." Seto said slowly.

Atem snorted once more, "The only time I would ever allow another Were to carry me is if it was my dead body you were carrying. I don't care if I had to walk back to the clearing on four broken legs I will tell you this, I would be getting back to the clearing under my own power. Or not at all." Atem muttered.

Seto snorted, although his snort was one of fond bemusement, "Of course Alpha. As I said take all the time that you need." Seto replied.

Atem continued to lay on the ground for a few more moments as he glanced around himself. Atem frowned, "Where's the other Were?" Atem asked although he was clearly addressing his question to Malik and Marik.

"I don't know Alpha. We were actually more concerned with you than with tracking down the other Were." Malik said.

Atem frowned, "Then once I'm back on my feet I'll have to track him back down again. Because when I catch him he's a dead Were, that's for damn sure." Atem growled.

Yami could not believe what she was hearing, after everything that had happened although she still didn't know the details. Quite frankly the details didn't matter. What did matter was that Atem had nearly gotten himself killed dealing with this other Were and instead of letting the matter drop he wanted to as soon as he could go right back to hunting the Were down. Did he have a death wish or something?

"Perhaps I could aide you in your hunt Alpha?" Seto said slowly.

Atem snorted as he slowly began to struggle to his feet. A motion that normally took Atem a matter of seconds took him almost a full minute and Yami could clearly see that the motion had been a clear struggle. He took a slow, almost shaky step and his body quickly shifted the weight off of his front left foot and onto the right.

"Yes, when I hunt the Were back down you would be welcome to join me Seto. This isn't just about some ridiculous question of pride. That Were is the one that killed Noa and Julian. He bragged about precisely that on the mountain top." Atem declared.

"Then it shall be as you said Alpha. He's a dead Were." Seto snarled.

"But first Seto, I think I need to be heading back to the clearing. As much as it pains me to admit I need to recover first before I go hunting down the other Were." Atem said as he took another slow, pained step forward.

Seto nodded, "Of course Alpha." Seto replied.

And Yami took that as her cue to leave before she turned and darted back away from her wounded mate. She just couldn't look at Atem any more. She was torn between feeling utterly and completely elated that he was still alive and horrified that he wanted to go right back to challenging the Were that nearly had killed him to begin with. She didn't care what Atem said it absolutely was a question of pride. Atem's ego had no doubt been damaged as a result from the fight and he was itching to jump right back in the ring.

"Yami! Yami wait! Where are you going?" Atem called out after her.

"Back to the clearing." Yami snarled back.

Yami wasn't all that surprised to feel Mana bump shoulders with her moments later. This was actually the first time in Yami's entire ten days as a Were that she was thankful for the wolf form it was so much easier for her to try and conceal her emotions while she was in her beast form. Had she been in her real form Yami had little doubt that she would be sobbing right now.

"Are you alright?" Mana asked slowly.

Yami snorted, "Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be alright? My mate is an arrogant, prideful idiot with a fucking death wish that for several horrifying minutes I thought was actually dead. And what does he plan to do? I'll tell you what plans to do! He plans to go right back to courting death all over again. To hell with what had happened! To hell with how worried or scared I was when I saw him lying there like that." Yami growled.

"Yami, I promise once we get back to the clearing you and I will talk about this. But this is not the time nor the place for this conversation." Atem called out, apparently either Yami was moving incredibly slow or Atem wasn't letting his injuries slow him down any.

Yami came to an abrupt stop before she whipped around to come snout to snout with Atem, "Oh? And what if I don't want to talk about this later, huh Atem?" Yami snarled.

Atem sighed, "Look, I'm sorry that I scared you. That was clearly never my intention." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Of course it wasn't your intention. Just like next you'll be saying that Malik and Marik never _intended_ for me to have to see you like that in the woods. Well intentions aside I saw you lying on the ground where you looked like you were dead. Genuinely dead! And you don't even care what it was like when I believed you were dead! You don't realize the agony that you put me through and as always my feelings don't matter to you. Its all about you and what you want!" Yami snarled.

"Does it make any difference at all that I'm alright?" Atem asked.

Yami growled, "But that's just it. Your aren't! You're limping. You head it all bloody. You are clearly hurt but your too damn proud to admit it." Yami snarled.

Atem strode forward to lightly bump heads with Yami. "I'll be okay. Honest. My injuries are nothing that I won't be able to recover from in about a week or so. I promise." Atem whispered.

Yami snorted, "And I don't believe you." Yami replied although her reply came out more like a whimper than the derisive snort she'd intended.

Atem sighed, "Look, once we get back to our den where I can lay down and get some rest we'll talk about this, okay? And I promise that I'll be perfectly honest with you." Atem said.

"And that you'll let Ishizu check on you and verify that you'll be okay." Yami countered.

Atem snorted, "I promise to if she is willing to make the trek out to check on me that I will allow her to with no complaints. But I won't compel her to come." Atem muttered.

Yami nodded, "That'll be good enough for me." Yami said.

"Good, now I know you're upset but the clearing is actually a bit more to the left from us." Atem pointed out.

Yami snorted, "Yeah, and I would have found it eventually." Yami growled.

Atem snorted, "I know you would have. But I wanted to tell you regardless." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes before listening to Atem's suggestion and headed a bit more to the left before the group reached the clearing. Mana, Malik and Marik all trotted past Atem and Yami and back into the main part of the clearing whereas Atem, Yami and Seto turned and made their way over to Atem's den.

Atem padded inside before he made himself comfortable on the pile of pelts.

Yami shifted back into her human form before sinking down to her knees beside Atem, "Where exactly are you hurt?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "I probably fractured my front left leg and my head as well as my ribs are throbbing. Other than that I'd like to think I'm doing just fine after the tumble I took." Atem said.

"Tumble?" Yami asked slowly while Seto straightened up.

"I'm going to go and try and contact Ishizu and ask that she come out to the clearing and help." Seto said before he exited Atem's den leaving Yami and Atem alone.

Atem sighed, "Yes, tumble. The dead Were ended up lunging at me and the both of us when tumbling off the ledge. I should have killed him. When he slammed into me I manged to latch my jaws onto his throat, however when I hit my head on the way down I must have lost my grip on him. Next time we meet he won't be so lucky." Atem growled.

"And I'm telling you this until you have a clean bill of health from Ishizu you won't be chasing after any Weres. I never want to go through the pain of thinking someone that I loved was dead like I did earlier. I mean it Atem. Never. Again." Yami growled.

Atem was quiet for several moments before he slowly shifted. Yami let out a gasp as Atem's shift certainly revealed more damage that his fur had concealed. He whole right side of his face was already bruising and it looked like he had cracked his head open, the wound was certainly bleeding quite profusely. His left forearm certainly looked broken and would probably need to be reset. And his ribs were already a deep purple color to the point that Yami actually was worried about internal bleeding.

"My god Atem!" Yami whimpered before she picked up the blue blanket her and the other women had worked so hard on and began to try and apply pressure to Atem's head wound.

"I'm okay Yami. I promise, I'm okay. It isn't as bad as it looks." Atem whispered as he lightly draped his right arm around Yami's shoulders.

"And I told you that until I hear those words from a doctor I'm not going to believe you. What if you have internal bleeding or something?" Yami asked and Atem could clearly hear the fear in Yami's tone.

Atem sighed, "I don't. But like I said I will wait to hear what Ishizu has to say about my injuries." Atem replied.

Yami fell silent as she continued to focus all of her energy into the attending to the wound on Atem's head. She hardly glanced up when Seto came trotting back into the den.

"Alpha, I contacted Ishizu. I actually had to call Mahado because she once again would not take my calls. Mahado spoke to her and she said to inform you, and I quote 'if you are that badly injured than get him to a hospital. I am not at your packs every beck and call. Either deal with it yourself and bring him to get some real help. Now stop bothering me. End quote." Seto replied.

Atem nodded, "Very well then. We'll just have to tend to this ourselves like we normally do." Atem replied with a shrug.

"No." Yami said.

Atem frowned, "I'm sorry, what do you mean no?" Atem asked.

"You heard me. Ishizu won't come to us, then we'll just have to take you to the hospital. I don't want to take any chances that something happens to you because we weren't able to treat internal bleeding." Yami said, her tone firm.

Atem sighed. "Fine. We'll go." Atem conceded.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Not-so Good Doctor

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

"So, what exactly are we going to tell the doctor is the cause of your injuries Alpha? I am not certain that even if we arrive at the hospital that it will be Ishizu that will be tending to your injuries." Seto asked softly as Yami was gingerly trying to get Atem into one of the shirts she'd bought for him to wear while he was still pressing the now bloody blanket to the side of his head.

Atem shrugged, "Does it particularly matter? What business is it of these doctors how these injuries occurred? Will they not just treat them before moving on?" Atem asked.

Yami snorted, "The doctors also like to have context information to help them to make sense of what their tests and x-rays are showing." Yami said.

Atem rolled his eyes, "And what happened to me is irrelevant to them. If Ishizu is the one who sees me then yes, I will elaborate. I will not waste my time with the other doctors." Atem replied gruffly.

Yami rolled her eyes before she got back to her feet, "Okay, so here is how we are going to do this. This prideful ass is going to shift until we get through the clearing. Then he will shift again and I will carry him the rest of the way. I don't want him walking on that front leg and I know he won't let you carry him Seto. So, I will. And I will not take no for an answer on that." Yami growled as her crimson eyes at Atem as if she was daring him to argue.

Atem sighed, "Yami, you are not going to carry me anywhere." Atem said.

"Then either you let me carry you or you let Seto. Those are you only choices Atem. Because you are not walking all that way on what is clearly a broken leg. Besides, we'll get there faster if we carry you then with you limping." Yami said.

"I can move just as fast as either of you despite my injured leg. I don't need to be carried." Atem contested.

Yami crossed her arms in front of her chest as she continued to glare at Atem. "This is not a matter that is up for debate Atem. And the longer we argue about this the more you are stressing me out. Is that what you want to do? Stress me unnecessarily?" Yami said.

Atem sighed before he shot Seto a pointed look, albeit exasperated look. "Fine. You win, I will humor you and allow myself to be carried to Domino." Atem said.

Yami nodded once, "Thank you. Now, shift so we can get going. Seto, while Atem and I are getting out of the clearing call Ishizu back and tell her that yes Atem's injuries are that bad and that we are bringing him to the hospital." Yami said.

Seto glanced briefly at Atem who sighed once more before he nodded. Seto nodded as well, "Of course Alpha female, I will do as you have said." Seto said before he turned and strode out of the den.

Yami shifted as did Atem before the pair began to slowly make their way through the clearing. Once they had passed through the clearing the pair came to a stop and Yami turned to Atem, "Shift. Now. We're far enough away that no one is going to see me carrying you." Yami said.

Atem snorted before he slowly shifted and climbed onto Yami's back. Yami said nothing in response since she felt that commenting on Atem letting her carry him would just make him start arguing about it all over again and she really just wanted to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible.

The two were about halfway down the hill, Yami was slowly making her way down because she didn't want to jostle or accidentally dislodge Atem if she'd been running, when Seto managed to catch up with them and then the trio made their way in silence down to the river.

They came to a brief stop beside the river before Atem jumped off, shifting mid jump and landing in the water and began swimming across. Yami rolled her eyes before jumping into the water after him. She had made it half way across the river before Atem was climbing up on the opposite bank and began shaking himself off.

Yami reached the other bank and Atem shifted once more before he climbed back onto Yami's back and the trio continued to make their way towards the edge of the woods.

"Were you able to get in touch with Ishizu this time?" Yami asked.

Seto sighed, "Once more I was forced to contact Mahado and he was able to get in touch with Ishizu. She has reluctantly agreed to see Alpha but not until after she has seen to all of her patients. So, she said that Alpha can come to her office at 5 pm today and she will give him an examination then." Seto said.

Yami sighed, "Fine. I guess we don't really have much of a choice in the matter, unless we just want to take Atem to the Emergency Room and get him treated there." Yami said.

"As you said the doctors would ask questions that we would be forced to lie about if we went to the Emergency Room, so for that reason I personally think it would be for the best if we just met up with Ishizu at 5 o'clock." Seto said.

Yami snorted but said nothing further. Ishizu's attitude was really beginning to get on Yami's nerves. First she refused to come and help when Mokuba had been fighting for his life and now she had refused to come and help when Atem had been hurt as well. And despite the fact that they were making the trek out to see her she still wasn't even really trying to meet them halfway.

The trio made their way into the Motou's backyard before Yami headed to the back door. Atem climbed off her allowing her to shift before she grabbed the key and unlocked the door. "Well, since Atem can't get seen until 5 we might as well hang out here for a while." Yami said before she turned back to Atem, "And that means you are going to be sitting your ass on the couch until its time for us to go." Yami said.

Atem snorted before he sank down on the couch. "Fine. I'll sit down. But will you please relax Yami? You are clearly stressing yourself out right now and that isn't good for you. Everything will be fine. We're going to get me checked out." Atem said.

Yami sighed, "I know. I just, look I'm worried about you. That's all. I want to make sure that you're going to be okay and I'm not going to be able to calm down until a doctor sees you." Yami said.

Atem lifted up his good arm, "Come sit with me. As you said we have some time to kill while we're waiting to go and see Ishizu." Atem said.

Yami sighed before she sank down on the couch beside him and rested her head on his shoulder allowing him to drape his arm around her. To be honest she had no idea why she felt as on edge as she did. Atem squeezed the arm he had around her shoulders before he pressed a kiss to her brow. "I'm okay Yami. I promise." Atem whispered.

Yami sighed as she nuzzled closer to Atem, "I just don't want to lose you." She whispered softly, so softly she almost thought Atem wasn't able to hear what she'd said.

After a few moments Yami felt the arm around her shoulders tighten ever slow slightly before Atem whispered back, "You won't."

Time seemed to drag incredibly slowly as they waited for the time to come for them to go to see Ishizu. You could tell that none of the three of them were happy to be just sitting around doing nothing. Even Yami had apparently gotten used to the constant busy work of life with the pack. So, after sitting with Atem on the couch for over an hour she got to her feet and headed upstairs.

"Where are you going?" Atem called out.

Yami snorted. She could almost hear in Atem's tone that he was already warning her against taking off somewhere without someone to watch her. _Honestly I take off twice and you'd think it was a normal thing. _Yami mused.

"I'm actually going to grab my laptop. You did promise that we would have gone shopping today. I figured that maybe we could do some online shopping to pass the time." Yami called back.

Atem sighed but nodded, "Fine." He conceded.

Yami rolled her eyes as she turned and darted up the stairs. She didn't need Atem's permission to go upstairs into her own bedroom. She made her way into her room and grabbed her laptop before she sat down on the edge of the bed and booted it up.

She only intended to hang out upstairs for a few minutes before she headed back down. She was feeling a tiny bit rebellious. So, Yami booted up her computer and pulled up her social media page. Yami frowned when she said that someone had written a message on Mai's wall. It looked like it was from her mom.

_Really missing my baby girl. This house is so quiet without her. But the doctors said that it was for the best that she go away to heal. I just pray that she heals quickly so I can have my baby back home again. Never again will I complain about her charging up my credit card or her blaring her loud music half the night. _

Yami frowned. She had literally seen Mai a couple of days ago and Mai had been just fine chilling by the pool. What had happened in the last few days that she'd been gone?

Yami saw that Mai's mom actually looked like she was online. She didn't want to be rude but she really did want to know what had happened to Mai.

Yami clicked on Mrs. Valentines icon and opened up a chat box before typing: _Hey Mrs. Valentine_ and clicking send.

Yami glanced up from her laptop when she heard a light knock on her bedroom door. She saw that Atem was standing there. "Atem, you should be resting." Yami lightly scolded.

Atem quirked a brow, "And I thought you were coming back downstairs so we could do some of that on the line shopping." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Its online shopping, not on the line shopping. And yes, I'll be downstairs in a few minutes. I just want to finish this up first." Yami said.

Atem instead of going downstairs like Yami had hoped he would instead walked further into her room before plopping down on the bed beside her. "What are you working on?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed. "Nosy much?" She muttered.

Atem shrugged. "Curious is probably the better word for it." Atem replied.

Yami sighed once more as she glanced down to see that Mrs. Valentine had replied to her message.

_Hello Yami dear. Its so good to hear from you. I know how much Mai has missed you while you've been away. I hope that you are well. As for what has happened to Mai I'm afraid that I can't say. All I can say is that she is ill and is away from home recovering at a specialized clinic. I have high hopes that she'll be home before Christmas but we'll just have to play things by ear. _

Yami frowned before she typed back: _Mai is going to be gone for six months? At least? And you can't talk about it? Why can't you talk about it? That doesn't make any sense. _

Atem lightly nudged Yami in the shoulder, "You never answered my question what are you working on?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed once more, "I'm talking to my friend Mai's mother. Something happened to Mai and I'm trying to find out what that is. But she is saying that she can't tell me what happened. That its classified and that Mai is recovering at a specialized medical clinic and she'll be gone for at least six months." Yami said.

Atem was quiet for a moment before he climbed off Yami's bed, reaching down to try and tug Yami up as well, "Lets go and do that inline shopping." Atem said.

"First of all, its called online shopping, not inline shopping. And secondly, couldn't you at least pretend to be worried about my friend? If something had happened to one of your friends I would listen to you when you talked about it." Yami said.

Atem sighed, "I have every confidence that your friend will be just fine and will make a full recovery from whatever it is that ails her." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Now if only you could insert a little bit of concern into your tone you might actually be able to pass as caring about what had happened to her." Yami muttered.

Atem shrugged, "I apologize if I have not conveyed a sufficient amount of concern regarding the well being of your friend. Now, can we do the shopping that you wanted to do for our pups?" Atem asked.

Yami sighed but did exit out of her social media. "There? Happy?" Yami muttered before she pulled up Amazon and made herself comfortable on the bed.

Atem quirked a brow, "I thought you said that you were going to be bringing your computer downstairs." Atem said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "Yes, I did. But that was before you decided to come upstairs after me. Now we might as well just stay up here. Seto can entertain himself while we browse online." Yami said before she gave Atem a cheeky look, "Or are you saying that you don't want to snuggle up with me?" Yami asked, her tone teasing.

Atem rolled his eyes before he sat back down on the bed, allowing Yami to lean against his uninjured side. "Fine. So, what exactly is it that you're looking for?" Atem asked.

Yami shrugged, "To be honest I'm not really sure. I know only the bare minimum about babies. Mai's cousin had a baby shower that her and I attended a few years ago. But how different are Werewolf babies from regular babies? Do I prepare for them like someone would whose getting a new puppy? Or do I prepare for them like you would a baby?" Yami asked.

Atem sighed, "Perhaps somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. No doubt some preparations from each are going to be required." Atem said.

Yami sighed once more before she began to scroll through Amazon while Atem lounged beside her. The two had been browsing online for about two hours when Seto finally made his way up stairs and lightly knocked on Yami's door.

Yami glanced up from her searching and Atem also straightened up. He had fallen into a light doze about half an hour ago and Yami had figured it wouldn't hurt anything to let Atem get some rest.

"Yes Seto?" Atem asked.

"It is time for us to be heading to the hospital for your appointment with Ishizu." Seto said.

Atem nodded before he slowly got to his feet while Yami closed her laptop and set it back on her desk. "Then lets go." Atem said.

Yami glanced at Seto, "Did you call us a taxi?" Yami asked.

Seto smirked, "No, not quite. Although, our ride will be here momentarily." Seto replied.

Atem nodded once more before he led the way downstairs and out the front door, which Yami locked behind them. And sure enough, not long after they had headed outside a Black Ford Focus pulled up in front of the driveway. The passenger side window rolled down to reveal that the driver of the car was in fact Mahado.

His eyes widened almost comically as he took in Atem's state before whipped open the drivers side door, "Alpha? What happened?" Mahado asked.

Atem shrugged, "Something minor I can assure you. However, my mate will not relax until I have been seen by a doctor which is why we are here now." Atem said.

Yami snorted, "Only you Atem."

Atem turned and gave Yami a pointed look before he glanced back over to Mahado. "Are you ready to bring us to see Ishizu?" Atem asked.

Mahado nodded as he opened the passenger side door, "Of course Alpha."

Atem rolled his eyes, "Seto can sit up from beside you. I would prefer to ride in the back with my mate." Atem said.

Mahado visibly was shocked by Atem's pronouncement. "Wait, mate? I wasn't just hearing things. You did take a mate?" Mahado asked.

Atem rolled his eyes once more before reached for the car door, Mahado quickly springing to open it for him. "If you spent more time on pack grounds there is a lot of things that you would be more aware of. But, yes. Yami and I mated during the last full moon." Atem said matter of factly.

Mahado nodded before he closed the door after Yami and Atem had both climbed inside and scrambled back around to the drivers seat while Seto made himself comfortable in the front passengers seat. "Well, I know it must be late but allow me to off my and my mates congratulations. And may your mating be a fruitful one." Mahado said.

Atem and Seto both snorted while Yami couldn't help but blush. Not that Mahado seemed to notice since he had turned his attention onto pulling back out onto the road. The drive to Ishizu's office did not take long at all and Mahado pulled into a parking space not far from the entrance to the hospital. "Ishizu's office is on the fifth floor. Room 508. She should be expecting you." Mahado informed the group.

"Thank you Mahado." Atem said briskly as he and Yami climbed out of the car and headed inside.

"I'll wait for you out here Alpha. And once you are finished I'll drive you back to where you had me pick you up." Mahado said.

Atem, however said nothing and instead pulled the main door to the hospital open for Yami. It didn't take them long to get to Ishizu's office. There was a minimal wait for the elevator but since the vast majority of appointments appeared to be done for the day there weren't really a lot of patients milling around.

They strode into office 508 and Atem and Yami took seats in the waiting area while Seto informed Ishizu's secretary that they were here for their appointment with Ishizu. Ishizu came out of the back office promptly at 530 before she turned to her secretary.

"Thank you Mary, you are free to go for the night. I'll be able to finish up things here." Ishizu said.

The secretary, Mary, quickly cleaned up her desk before logging off of her computer and exited the office. Once they were alone Ishizu turned her attention onto the trio of Weres. "What the hell are you three doing at my place of business?" Ishizu growled.

Yami frowned as did Seto and Atem. "We were informed that you were going to see Alpha after the last of your appointments had concluded for the day and for us to come to your office at 5." Seto said.

"I said no such thing. I told you I am not your personal doctor. I have a career and a life that has nothing to do with the pack outside the one night a month I am forced to interact with you other savages. Beyond that I am perfectly content pretending that you don't exist. So, I ask again what the hell are you doing in my office?" Ishizu snapped.

Atem rolled his eyes, "Clearly there has been a misunderstanding. We'll be leaving." Atem said briskly before he turned to head towards the door.

Yami strode forward without warning and drew her hand back before harshly smacking Ishizu across the face. "Just because you made a decision that you have come to regret does not mean you are not a part of our pack nor that our pack is part of your family. Atem was badly hurt and we came to you for help. You would not come to us so we made the trek out to see you. And so help me you WILL tend to him." Yami growled. To be honest Yami had no idea what had come over her. All she did know was that she was angry at Ishizu and worried about Atem and Ishizu needed to stop being...well, a selfish bitch and to help Atem.

Ishizu rolled her eyes before she turned and strode back into her office, "Are you coming or not?" She snootily called over her shoulder.

Yami clenched her tightly in a fist intending to smack Ishizu again when Atem lightly rested a hand on her arm, "Its alright Yami. Ishizu isn't worth you losing your self control. Regardless of her attitude she is complying with our request. And with Ishizu no doubt this is the best that we will be able to get. So, lets get this visit over with so we can return home." Atem said.

Yami sighed but she did nod her agreement with Atem's words and unclench her fist. The trio then followed Ishizu into her office.

Ishizu led them to a simple exam room before she nodded her head towards the bed. "Sit. And tell me what happened which required you to seek my assistance." Ishizu icily commanded.

Atem climbed onto the hospital bed and sat quite rigidly. Almost as if he refused to give Ishizu the satisfaction of seeing him as anything other than strong.

"I took a small tumble off the side of the North Mountain while I had been dealing with an invading rogue Were." Atem said briskly.

Ishizu rose a brow, "A small tumble off the side of the mountain? Why would you do something so stupid?" Ishizu asked.

Atem rolled his eyes, "Don't be an idiot Ishizu. I didn't do it intentionally. I was battling the rogue Were and as I was administering the killing blow the Rogue managed to throw the both of us off the side of the mountain. I am fine. However, it would ease my mate's mind if you would examine me to confirm that was in fact the case." Atem said.

Ishizu frowned, "Your what?" Ishizu asked.

Yami, however had enough, "He means me. I'm the one whose worried about him. The bruising on his torso is deep and I'm worried he might have internal bleeding. Now will you examine him already?" Yami snapped.

"Alpha, you should have known better than to pressure a newly turned Were into a mating. That wasn't remotely fair to Yami and you have essentially robbed her of having a choice in the matter." Ishizu said.

Yami groaned as she once again clenched her fists, at the end of her patience. "The choice was mine and Atem's. And ours alone. What we choose to do or not to do has nothing to do with you. So stop scolding us like a couple of misbehaving teens and examine him." Yami growled.

Ishizu sighed, "Fine." She conceded before she lifted up Atem's shirt and began to roughly poke at the bruises on his torso. Yami really had to hand it to Atem. Ishizu was clearly trying to intentionally cause Atem pain and was no doubt succeeding but she might as well have been poking the wall for all the reaction Atem gave her.

After several minutes she sat back, "Well, I would like to do some blood work to check for certain." Ishizu said.

Atem frowned, "Why would you need blood work? I'm not ill." Atem said.

Ishizu sighed, "Its just a standard practice when you go to the doctors office. You get your blood drawn so a wide variety of tests can be conducted and give the provider, in this case me, an overall view of your health." Ishizu said.

Atem shook his head, "That won't be necessary. Now, am I able to leave?" Atem asked.

Ishizu sighed. "I honestly don't know why you bothered to come if you weren't going to allow me to carry out your examination. But yes, you can leave. And please, don't come back." Ishizu said.

Atem slid off the table and straightened his shirt, "Don't worry, we won't." Atem said before strode out of Ishizu's office with Yami and Ishizu following after him.

"Oh, and Alpha?" Ishizu called out.

Atem paused briefly, "What?" Atem asked.

"I'm not going to be having to ruin any other teenagers lives, am I? I've already had to ruin two in the last couple of weeks." Ishizu said.

Atem snorted before he continued walking, "I don't know what your even talking about Ishizu." Atem called back over his shoulder.

Ishizu snorted, "I highly doubt that _you _don't Atem. You seem to make it your business to know everything." Ishizu said.

Atem paused on his way out of the office before he turned back around to face Ishizu a scowl on his face, "You will do well to remember you stuck up bitch that my title is Alpha and that you will address me as such." Atem growled.

"Alpha is right. Whether we are here in Domino or in the clearing as a Were you will show him the respect that he is owed." Seto growled from his place beside Atem.

Ishizu rolled her eyes, "The nonsense about the titles aside my point still stands. I know that you are fully aware of what happened. Don't play dumb with me." Ishizu said.

Yami once again found herself getting right into Ishizu's face, "And Atem said he didn't know what you were talking about. Now what you're supposed to do is be a good little bitch and drop it so we can get out of your office and back to the clearing so he can rest." Yami snarled.

Ishizu gave Yami a look of utter and complete disappointment, "He's managed to completely corrupt you in such a short period of time." Ishizu said.

Yami rolled her eyes, "I have not been corrupted. Not in anyway. Now, drop whatever it is that you are trying to bait him with so we can go and rejoin your mate in the parking lot and he can drive us back to the woods so we can head back home." Yami growled.

Ishizu rolled her eyes before she waved the trio out. Atem turned and led the way back out of the office with Yami and Seto following him. The climbed into the elevator and as soon as the doors slid closed Yami could not help but say something. "Seriously that the hell is her problem?"

Seto sighed, "To be perfectly honest. I do not know. We, as her pack, have been very understanding of her need to live in Domino. We have not demanded much from her. Any other pack would have demanded more of a contribution."

Yami sighed as she leaned back against the back of the elevator with Atem standing beside her. He slipped his uninjured arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Let it go. She is not worth getting worked up about." Atem said.

"I know she's not. She just, it just made me really angry the way she was speaking to you." Yami whispered as she buried her nose in Atem's throat, taking a few deep breaths to breath in his scent.

"That's because you are coming to understand and respect that Alpha is Alpha." Seto replied.

The elevator dinged and the trio made their way out and back over to Mahado's waiting car. He quickly scrambled out and opened the doors for Yami, Seto and Atem. Once the four Were's were settled into the car Mahado pulled out of the hospital parking lot and headed back towards the Game Shop.

"I hope my wife was able to help you Alpha." Mahado said, no doubt in the hopes of breaking the awkward silence that had settled in the car.

Seto snorted, "She did do a bare minimal examination yes. Although, Mahado she was quite surprised to see that we had arrived. It was almost like she had no idea we were coming despite me calling and informing you that we would be." Seto said.

Mahado had the decency to blush, "Yes, well I know that in order for Alpha to be coming into Domino for medical attention than it must be for something serious. So, I neglected to tell Ishizu that you were coming and answered on her behalf that she would see you once her appointments were done for the day." Mahado replied.

Thankfully it did not take long before Mahado dropped the Were's back off at the Game Shop. The trio immediately headed into the back yard and Yami and Seto shifted before heading back to the clearing with Atem once more riding on Yami's back only transforming to cross the river and actually walk into the clearing. Once they had returned to the clearing Yami and Atem immediately headed back to their own den while Seto went to go and check on the pack.

"You're going to be taking it easy for a least a few days, right Atem?" Yami asked as she shifted and made herself comfortable down on the pelts.

Atem shifted as well before laying down on the pelts beside her, allowing her to snuggle into his side. "Yes, I will be resting for the next few days. And before you ask yes I will be spending them in this form that way I won't be putting any unnecessary weight on my injured leg to allow it to heal quicker."

Yami snorted, "In your human form its actually your arm, not your leg silly." Yani replied.

Atem rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant." Atem replied.

Yami sighed but nodded. She did know exactly what Atem had meant.

"And Yami?" Atem said.

"Hmm?" Yami replied.

"Once I have sufficiently recovered and dealt with the Were. I will be taking you into Domino to do the shopping like I had planned. I am going to keep that promise." Atem replied.

Yami couldn't help but smile as she continued to nuzzle into Atem's side. "That sounds great Atem. I can't wait." Yami whispered.


End file.
